AusBonsai

Yesterday I collected several trees from a house that was going to be demolished. I was hoping for a relatively easy dig as some of the beds were raised but they were all clay and rocks (from when the site was cleared). There was no water and no power so I done the hard way. Also my car has done a harmonic balancer so had the wife's car with no tow bar so no way to pull the trees out. Anyway after some hard digging they came out.

This first one I think may be a callistemon, not sure. This I think is an agonis? It was up against a wall so hoping it might shoot back now that its off the wall. More to come

Josh

This I thought was a Lepto when I saw the leaves but not sure once I saw the trunk. I needed some grow beds so I had some shelves I got from Big W when they were doing a refit. I screwed four together making a box about 700mmX700mmX450mmH. I filled them with some stuff I got from my cousins a while back It's the straw from his calf sheds. There is some manure (well rotted) and straw with some soil mixed in. May not be the best for a grow bed but all I have at the moment. Eventually I'll get some good soil mix for the grow boxes but this will do for now. They get sun till about 2 then dappled shade from the cherry tree.

Josh

Well mate you are officially mad (just like the rest of us). Great save and I hope they all survive.
Cheers

Watto wrote:Well mate you are officially mad (just like the rest of us). Great save and I hope they all survive.
Cheers

Yep totally mad but my family will tell you that anyway.
I forgot to mention I also got 4 azaleas.

Josh.

Mate that's ingenuity for those grow boxs! Looks like a tough days digging!

The one you think is agonis, I dug one recently but it has sulked ever since I dug it. Hopefully you have better luck than me

Adam

Hi Josh , mate that's a good score , now where's that juniper you were showing off . I hope you get the time to dig it up . Look forward to seeing any progress they make .

Cheers Alpine

Isitangus wrote:Mate that's ingenuity for those grow boxs! Looks like a tough days digging!

Tough digging but worth it. I have nearly thrown these shelves out several times but keep thinking one day........

Webos wrote:The one you think is agonis, I dug one recently but it has sulked ever since I dug it. Hopefully you have better luck than me

Adam

Unfortunately because of where it was growing all the growth is right at the ends so can't even cut it back much like I would normally.

alpineart wrote:Hi Josh , mate that's a good score , now where's that juniper you were showing off . I hope you get the time to dig it up . Look forward to seeing any progress they make .

Cheers Alpine

Thanks Alpine, the juni comes home on Wednesday, wanted this lot potted before I tackle that one. Also wanted to make sure I have everything ready for it to reduce the stress time it endures. (really just an excuse to recover ). The first two didn't have as much root ball as I would have liked so heaps of after care now. The third one had a good root ball but had large holes going into the soil (thinking curl grubs) so I had to wash a bit of dirt only to find they were baby crickets by the dozen. I will update these if/when they survive.

Josh

Hi Josh , mate i hope you can get to water the juni at least a day or two before so it has a guts full of water and to soften the soil . Best of luck with it .

Cheers Alpine

alpineart wrote:Hi Josh , mate i hope you can get to water the juni at least a day or two before so it has a guts full of water and to soften the soil . Best of luck with it .

Cheers Alpine

There is no water on site but could drop over tomorrow with some drums of water to start with. Thanks for the idea.

Josh.

Josh,
Is this how you deal with all your digs, or just the large ones?


Cheers
EZ
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CoGRedeMptioN wrote:Josh,
Is this how you deal with all your digs, or just the large ones?


Cheers
EZ
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Generally speaking I just dig them. My usually routine for digging is to dig with as much rootball as possible. I reduce the foliage to an acceptable level. I then spray the leaves, trunk and root ball with seasol (I have a pump spray bottle for this) I then wrap the rootball in a cloth which is dampened with seasol.
When I get them home I soak them in a tub of seasol for a day or two.
I then clean up any damaged roots, cutting off the damaged ends. I then pot them up and reduce the foliage further if needed. I water them with water to soak the pot then water in with seasol. I spray the foliage and trunk daily with seasol for the first week or two and water the roots with seasol every couple of days until it looks like living.
Seems to work for me.
Being a juniper and something more special watering it first will help reduce the stress of transplanting.

Josh.

Can you drive past and tip a bucke of water or 2 over the juni between now and dig time?

Great score and your after care will be good

Ken

Some great looking trees you scored particularly like the last one.

kcpoole wrote:Can you drive past and tip a bucke of water or 2 over the juni between now and dig time?

Great score and your after care will be good

Ken

Yeah I plan to today. I'll give it a big drink of seasol today. Unfortunately I'm limited with what I can do as I currently have 2 cars at the mechanics
Thinking I might give it a prune today as well. Then it can settle over night.
I treat all my trees the same way Ken. Seems to work well. I find spraying the foliage helps with dehydration and takes some of the stress off the roots. I think aftercare is as important if not more important than collecting technique.

Josh.