AusBonsai

I have been doing a bit of digging in the last couple of weeks in between showers, and all my good intentions to grow smaller bonsai are out the window. Its hard to resist digging such great starter stock. Hope they live to make nice trees
Craigw

G'day Craig,

Great stock! It's amazing what you can find in the garden. A few weeks ago I was over at Hartos' place and noticed a large Baekea/Babbingtonia. I lifted the foliage to check out the base and was blown away with what I saw. I'm sure he will dig it and post the record here soon.

After you dig a large 'stock' plant like these, how long do you let them recover for before you do any major work?

Regards,
Steven

G,day Steven, It will be a couple of years before I do anything with them unless they recover and grow really quickly. I will be really interested to hear about the babbingtonia as I have a big old one in my rock garden that has out grown its position. This plant has been in the garden for 20 years, I would love to dig it up so please keep us posted.
Craigw

Hi Craig now thats my kinda stock , they do look better in pots than in the ground as far as i'm concerned .Will be good to see these styled and shaped in a year or two.Cheers Alpine

Not planning on digging that one up for a while. Seems to be developing nicely right where it is.

I am so unsure of what to do Im gunna take my time.

Didnt even know what it was till Steven showed me, there are two of them though so guessing hes deserving of grabbing one.

Hartos wrote:Didnt even know what it was till Steven showed me, there are two of them though so guessing hes deserving of grabbing one.

I'll be there in 15 minutes

S.

How do these babbingtonia move and do you need to take lots of root.
Gday Alpine in most cases I would agree with you, all these plants were under threat so I am doing them a good deed
Craigw

Fortunalely they move very slowly in fact mine stay dead still

Good question though

gday craig

some big stock there mate! you could make them "shorter" but dont think you will get them to shohin size that last one has a very interesting trunk, it seems to turn like a spiral, not something seen with more mature trees that are left to grow.

I had a couple of baekia once, they despised root pruning and I actually killed a couple by over working the roots, and these were young plants! pup has a couple of monsters i beleive, I am pretty sure he said they were prone to some die back, but they do come back.

jamie