AusBonsai

Hi Guys and Gals.
I have access to some red gum saplings on a property that is earmarked for redevelopment in about 6 months from now.
My question is do I remove these plants now, shorten and root prune or do I cut back on site and remove them once they have recovered somewhat and are showing signs of new growth.

These saplings are about 8 feet tall and have a trunk girth of between 1 and 2.5" with some nice tapers.

according to our wiki, you can collect anytime of the year, but if possible, avoid the hottest weather
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... hould_I%3F

Depends on where you are too.

Ken

Gday Banksiaman, and welcome to AusBonsai!

Now would be the ideal time to collect your River Reds, in that there is enough of Summer left for them to re-establish before Winter. Try to get as much root as reasonably possible, but don't fret too much if you only get what seems like a feeble crop of roots. Now is also a good time to chop, as total defoliation is said to relieve the stresses on a compromised root system. With River Reds, you could probably trunk-chop as low as you like and still be guaranteed of getting buds to break below. (With a trunk of 2.5"(~625mm), I would be tempted to chop at about 4"(~100mm), but that might just be me... )

Of major importance when collecting is the soil mix you use, as well as general aftercare. For my Eucs (well, most of my trees, really) I use soil components (gravel, coarse sand, potting mix, etc) which has been sifted so that there are virtually no particles smaller than 2-3mm, as the small particles seem to hinder drainage, and thus prevent air being drawn into the soil. With such an open mix, your collected Eucs may require watering more than once a day, especially if it is windy or the temperature gets above 25-30°C.

Anyway, let us know how you go - preferably with some photos. Please feel free to ask any other questions: that's what we're here for!

Thanks, and good luck!

FlyBri.

Thanks guys,
As i live south of Adelaide, I might wait for this heat spell to go away. Maybe a project for the weekend.