AusBonsai

Since I have decided to make a start on this tree's journey, thought I better start a thread to keep track of it. About 18mths ago I found it hiding in the corner of a favorite nursery and hesitated at the price ($25) but finally decided I really couldnt leave it behind. I didnt have one & its mature stock, not the usual 6"pots...It was given a moderate rootprune & planted in the ground soon after it came home. While not the best timing I didnt originally intend it becoming a bonsai & felt long term going into the ground would counter any shortterm drop in vigour. It did more than just lose vigour, it dropped the majority of its foliage & looked like death for the next 6months. It has recovered over the last season with lots of backbuds everywhere! As I have had no luck with cuttings, 4 layers have been set on branches to be removed, all have well placed shoots to replace them. I would like to remove 2 more branches but not without replacements already in place. Heres hoping some bud stimulation techniques work and I can layer the remaining sections over the coming season or 2. I would be interested to hear of anyone elses experiences with either Michelia figo 'Coco' or M.figo (Port wine magnolia).
Matt

Ps- If anyone is interested in one of the layers once they strike, drop me a pm.

i have a very large Port Wine Magnolia i collected from the garden about 4 yrs back. it has grow amazingly the whole time from a severely cut back stump. the new growth, when they are chopped back to bare wood, is very vertical and brittle so if you chop back hard you need to wire out the new growth from the trunk straight away. they seem to cope very well with alot of root removal. im hoping to repot mine this season and start working on the tree after 4 years of resting after collection.

Hugh

Hey Hugh,
Thanks for adding your observations. A couple of things...

Have you repotted at all or will this be your first time?

You say it has grown the whole time, by this do you mean it has constantly been putting out new growth? From the limited time I have had this & another Michelia I seem to only get one good growth spurt in spring then they just sit for the next 10mths...

Would love to see some pics of your monster

Matt

No it hasnt been repotted since i collected so i would imagine it would be quite root bound by now. it was planted into a very large deep terracotta pot at the time so there was plenty of room for it too grow. ill let you know how repotting goes when i do it.
well like you say at the beggining of the season it puts on growth which extends and then ive been trimming back in summer which it then puts out another flush of growth. mine seems to grow all year really except in the middle of winter. it dosnt grow super fast though.
Ill get some picks for you soon.

Hugh

Thanks Hugh, look forward to seeing your monster

The layers where removed at the beginning of january & will be the subject of a seperate thread. As can be seen the backbuds have grown strong and with the layers removed it was time to give it a light trim. The digimonsters where busy last night as I cant find the latest pic, will get another today

Ok... weird.. here it is