Grevillea 'Honey Wonder'
Posted: December 18th, 2012, 3:42 pm
I have never been a huge fan of variegated trees but when I saw an old specimen of this variety growing locally it changed my mind. I had seen the stock trees sitting at my fave nursery but still baulked on getting one, that was until i was there with my mentor getting some landscaping plants. After a bit of goading about how it would make a great long term project, we did a deal, he paid & I get the torment of trying to do something with it 
That was May this year and this is how it looked when I got it home (minus the extra 6' that was above these branches).
It backbudded profusely from the initial chop but they remained reluctant to do anything so in early september I removed the rest of the branches & repotted, in the process discovering why it wasn't growing as strongly as it should be... (all will be revealed at the end)
It finally started to make some moves & is now doing just fine.
Still lots of growing to do & a direction to be found but I may be starting to get an idea for the second bit...
Now to why it wasn't growing as it should...
Borers, the kind that burrow just under the bark, eating out the cambium so you never even know they are there till too late... well it almost was too late, just the smallest sliver of cambium was still intact when I repotted and even I didnt give it much hope. It sat & sat & sat until november then suddenly the buds started to move, the cambium is visibly starting to repair itself & we are back in business... The base is also what starts my idea for its future direction but first to get it really strong again...
That was May this year and this is how it looked when I got it home (minus the extra 6' that was above these branches).
It backbudded profusely from the initial chop but they remained reluctant to do anything so in early september I removed the rest of the branches & repotted, in the process discovering why it wasn't growing as strongly as it should be... (all will be revealed at the end)
It finally started to make some moves & is now doing just fine.
Still lots of growing to do & a direction to be found but I may be starting to get an idea for the second bit...
Now to why it wasn't growing as it should...
Borers, the kind that burrow just under the bark, eating out the cambium so you never even know they are there till too late... well it almost was too late, just the smallest sliver of cambium was still intact when I repotted and even I didnt give it much hope. It sat & sat & sat until november then suddenly the buds started to move, the cambium is visibly starting to repair itself & we are back in business... The base is also what starts my idea for its future direction but first to get it really strong again...