Banksia grandis

[Pup]

G, day all I have done all the weeding and cleaning of most of the tree's that will go in the show.
Then this one said how about you do some thing with me. This is Banksia grandis ( common name Bull Banksia )
It is a native of Western Australia.
It is drought resistant but frost tender, it survived two last year. As its name suggest it is a large Banksia to 8 metres with a spread of 3 metres. The leaves are usually 40 cm long but as you can see these have reduced quite well this tree is 12cm at the base and is now 32cm high.

Now what as you can see it has had a large cut back, so we now await new growth. Also comments.

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[Japh]

G, day all I have done all the weeding and cleaning of most of the tree's that will go in the show.
Then this one said how about you do some thing with me. This is Banksia grandis ( common name Bull Banksia )
It is a native of Western Australia.
It is drought resistant but frost tender, it survived two last year. As its name suggest it is a large Banksia to 8 metres with a spread of 3 metres. The leaves are usually 40 cm long but as you can see these have reduced quite well this tree is 12cm at the base and is now 32cm high.

Now what as you can see it has had a large cut back, so we now await new growth. Also comments.

It looks fabulous, Pup!

What's the deal with the two fairly distinctly different areas of the trunk? The bottom half vs the top half, look like they could be from different trees. Is it a graft? Or was it cut back really hard some time ago?

[Pup]

What's the deal with the two fairly distinctly different areas of the trunk? The bottom half vs the top half, look like they could be from different trees. Is it a graft? Or was it cut back really hard some time ago?

Japh, It is not a graft what it is that part of the trunk needs thickening. So that is why the top was let grow. It will now be let grow again.
The reason for the cut back is to encourage side shooting. So I have more branches lower down.
It is a grow, chop, grow, chop, situation similar to fig growing.

Glad you like it a couple of years it might rival Grants Pup

[Japh]

Japh, It is not a graft what it is that part of the trunk needs thickening. So that is why the top was let grow. It will now be let grow again.
The reason for the cut back is to encourage side shooting. So I have more branches lower down.
It is a grow, chop, grow, chop, situation similar to fig growing.

Ah, I see! So the top, newer-looking part, is basically just to thicken it up and will be cut back? Are you going for a sort of sumo-style, as with figs?

Very cool... I'm booked in to do a course with Will Fletcher (of Island Bonsai) on October 18th, and I think if he has any Tassie Banksias I might have to use that as my class plant

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Japh and Pup,

The only banksia Will will have is B marginata( the silver banksia. a nice plant but not lumpy or rough barked) as it is the only one native to the mainland of Tassie.

Pup,

Very nice indeed and yes it will be a great native bonsai with time and your expert care.

The Grandis looks so much like B serrata (Old man or Saw leaf banksia)it is spooky and very nice. I am surprised it hasn't been used a lot more already.

The lumpy base is very typical of B seratta (and figs) and they actually seem to swell when confined in a pot. Don't pot up too quickly or put in the ground and expect it to be lumpy.(lumpy good, not bad). Do fertilise in pot gradually and it will respond well.

Seeing there are 70 Banksia in WA I want to see more west coast banksia used as bonsai.

Banksia Lover here as you may know by now.

Grant

Will they live in the East? Probably not on the coast as it is too humid . Even grafted ones one east coast stock seem to fail quickly over there.

They sould be OK in Canberra as it is hot but not humid.

[teejay]

The Grandis looks so much like B serrata (Old man or Saw leaf banksia)it is spooky and very nice.

Yes, I could've sworn I was looking at a serrata! So similar.

A nice tree Pup yet again. Should be great in a few years.

[bonsaibruce]

Greetings,
When I work my Banksia I also cut 2/3 of each leaf off.
This seems to encourage shoots from the old wood and all the new foliage is small.
The cut leaves fall off when the new leaf establishes.
My banksias were both pulled from cracks in the decking of a bridge. They were about 2mm thick and about 15cm tall.
Both are looking well and if I get time before it gets too hot they may get a pot. Trunks would be about 15cm diameter.
BB

[Grant Bowie]

Greetings,
When I work my Banksia I also cut 2/3 of each leaf off.
This seems to encourage shoots from the old wood and all the new foliage is small.
The cut leaves fall off when the new leaf establishes.
My banksias were both pulled from cracks in the decking of a bridge. They were about 2mm thick and about 15cm tall.
Both are looking well and if I get time before it gets too hot they may get a pot. Trunks would be about 15cm diameter.
BB

Yes,

That is in effect a partial defoliation which does seem to work better than a full defolation.

Go Banksia

[Pup]

Thanks for the input Grant and BB. I will certainly try that to get back budding as you can see it is pretty bare .
Again thanks guys will keep you posted.

Pup

[Joel]

Hi BB and Grant,

What species is this technique used with? Not that ive had trouble with leaf reduction on banksia, but this sounds like something i have to try. Thanks!

Pup, this is possibly the first banksia ive seen from you. Have you shown others online before? Knowing your skills, i cant wait to see this tree in a few years, and where you will take it.

JayC

[Grant Bowie]

Some B serrata will not reduce easily so it is good for that one.

B integrifolia you can just trim back really hard and then once the new growth is emerging cut off the final few leaves. A partial defoliation but removes all the leaves with safety in a relatively short period so almost a full defoliation. Gives you a whole new crop of leaves without any daggy old ones that may have gone through winter. (Do it once it has warmed up wherever you live!)

[teejay]

B integrifolia you can just trim back really hard and then once the new growth is emerging cut off the final few leaves. A partial defoliation but removes all the leaves with safety in a relatively short period so almost a full defoliation. Gives you a whole new crop of leaves without any daggy old ones that may have gone through winter. (Do it once it has warmed up wherever you live!)

Grant would you do this on one you were still developing? For example, a tree that is still being shaped, growing branches etc...? Will defoliating benefit this process also? Or is primarily for leaf reduction and back budding for shoot replacement?

[Joel]

Thanks Grant! I shall post my favorite integrifolia sometime.

Sorry for the hijack Pup

JayC

[Grant Bowie]

B integrifolia you can just trim back really hard and then once the new growth is emerging cut off the final few leaves. A partial defoliation but removes all the leaves with safety in a relatively short period so almost a full defoliation. Gives you a whole new crop of leaves without any daggy old ones that may have gone through winter. (Do it once it has warmed up wherever you live!)

Grant would you do this on one you were still developing? For example, a tree that is still being shaped, growing branches etc...? Will defoliating benefit this process also? Or is primarily for leaf reduction and back budding for shoot replacement?

I would do it for leaf reduction and budding back. For a fat trunk just let them grow and then cut back(once it is warm to hot) when and where you want and you nearly always get lots of branches where you need them.

Banksia are quick to grow, fatten and mature so you should be able to have a great tree from cutting, seed or nursery stock in less than 5 to 10 years.

[teejay]

Thanks for your reply Grant.

I would do it for leaf reduction and budding back. For a fat trunk just let them grow and then cut back(once it is warm to hot) when and where you want and you nearly always get lots of branches where you need them.

I've already got a large enough trunk, I'm just developing branches now.

Do you trunk chop them? By that I mean, just leave a stump and no foliage at all?

(sorry for the hijack Pup )