AusBonsai

I spied a nice chunky Callistemon that is ripe for digging... one minor problem... it is growing hard against the driveway (actually it has grown partly over the top of it) and is also very very close to the fence. As such I wont be able to get much if any root... Will it survive??? To give some idea of size, that is a brick halfway up, it has grown into the trunks

Matt

I don't like your chances - but it looks like it has to go anyway so... why not try. Might not be worth the effort though in my opinion, it will be hard to get it out in that position.

Its a callistemon so chances of recovery are very good, even with little root - but you will have a job to get it out!
You must be young and enthusiastic to even contemplate this but consider the future - What sized pot will this monster need? How will you manage repotting, turning the tree regularly to get even light, etc???

Not all trees are worth collecting but knock yourself out if you feel so inclined.

Pull out the neighbor's fence (promise them a new one) and you will have no problem.

Dig it out as it is and you wont get enough root and you will pay for a new fence anyway.

Got heaps of clearance their mate. Took a bigger one with less than a square foot of roots, hasn't skipped a beat.

Look upon it as an exercise in body sculpting...you know, toning the biceps and triceps, that sort of thing.

Rowan, the effort is always worth it, if only for doing it.

Shibui, more like young & dumb.

Cuwire, the fence is in need of repair so I dont think it will be an issue to remove as long as I help my other half rebuild it.

Mitchell, Cheers bud, thats all I need to hear to go for it.

Bodhi, sculpting isnt needed but I wouldnt complain if it helped with bulk

I have a minor obsession with BIG trees, several are bigger than this one. The challenge, the effort, the time.. all are worth it for the long term outcome.... Moving & repotting is easy if they are set up right (turntables under, a block & tackle for repotting etc)

I dont think a pot that big will fit in my current kiln but by the time it needs one I may have my Anagama kiln built and I should have enough practice by then to make it.

Will post pics of the digging when I get to it (just one of more than a few on my dig list)

Matt

Hey Matt, Very nice find
Similar to the ones I dug recently viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8284 . I had a bit more room than you, but you should be OK

They are still green so hope they will shoot out soon and show positive signs soon

Ken

shouldnt be a prob mate!

I got a callistemon out of my grandmother in laws garden and the root system was terrible so I decided to flat cut at the base (looked a little like a tuber) where reverse taper started and it has taken a little time to reshoot but its got 6 inch branches now (bout 4 months) but I beleive it is spending the time rebuilding a root system. so you should be good!

jamie

Spoke to the neighbour about the fence & it is coming down... I will have good access on all sides except where it meets the driveway.

Jamie, would love to see some pics if you have any, flat cutting the base... never thought of doing that but it would solve my problem here...flat cut the side against the driveway, it would need a bit of carving to blend in but this stump will need a fair bit of that so whats a bit more.

Ken, thanks for linking those.. I knew someone had posted similar recently. Good to hear they are holding, most round here are showing loads of new buds so yours should thump soon.

Matt

gday mate

as soon as I have a camera again I will get some pics up for you. I have actually had similar success doing the same thing with a lilly pilly! flat cut across the base, just like an olive, I soaked the trunk in seasol for a week and away it went. the lilly pilly is nearly ready for a second wiring but I am letting it grow out strong to encourage more root growth as I am basically regrowing a new set!

back to the callistemon, one thing I have noticed is they are very very slow to recover. it was a couple of months before it even looked like budding out. now it has been around 8 months and have only had about 10 sets of leaves in extension growth over that time. I expected this being flat cut, if it survived which it did. but patience is the name of the game isnt it!

heres the link to the lilly pilly. no new pics unfortunately but shows what I did with the callistemon

(damn net is taking ages! been waiting here for the link to load for bout 10 minutes now!)

viewtopic.php?f=104&t=6149&hilit=lilly+ ... nt+kill+it

cheers