3 humble beginnings for $5

[canoeguide]

It's time for a 1-year mega-update on these P. afra and their spawn. Throughout last winter and into the spring they were pruned only very lightly (if at all). They were put outside around May 15 where they get morning and mid-day sun and have been fertilized with a mix of Osmocote Plus and all-purpose Miracle-Gro.

First, the 3 originals that have thickened noticeably and have been cut back hard again.

#1
April 2020:

September 2020:

#2
April 2020

September 2020:

#3 (This is also the one that was chewed by a mouse or something, which has basically fully healed.)
April 2020:

September 2020:

My intention is to repeat this clip and grow cycle until I'm happy with the trunk thicknesses.

Two more projects were started from the original $5 pot in the fall of 2019. Here you can see the *tiny* cuttings that were started. Most people wouldn't even bother with such tiny cuttings but I was new to this species and figured I'd see what happened. They're planted in whatever Napa 8822 fell through 1/8" mesh but was retained on a window screen. Here they are in October 2019

Here's the small "group" in April 2020.

And here it is in September 2020:

Then cut back hard:

If you remember the two small 1.5" pots from above in Fall 2019, here they are in September 2020. These ended up staying inside in a *north* facing window all summer. Compare their growth to those in the yellow pot above. I just let them keep getting taller and then I had an idea.

These were also planted with the roots spread over a piece of plastic (the domed bottom of a 16oz plastic bottle) to keep root growth outwards. I'm aware that these will never fuse, but the intention of the experiment is to maintain balanced vigor of the two trunks (so that they thicken at approximately the same rate). The height was just a convenient height which allowed for slightly more than one full wrap of the trunks. This could end up being chopped shorter at some point if it seems desirable to do so.

I've tossed pounds of large cuttings after this year's end-of-season pruning - not unusual for the species. All of these have about another month outside to push new growth before being brought inside for the winter. This has been a lot of fun so far for $5. No idea why the aspect ratio of the pics are all messed up... they looked fine while editing.

 

[just.wing.it]

Niiice....

 

[Carol 83]

Fun project, I'm having a Miller Lite in your honor!

 

[Mycin]

Cool thread, thanks for updating. Any growing techniques that you've found to be especially fruitful? I've noticed they can take more frequent waterings than generally advertised. In 100% pumice, seems like the more frequently I water them, the quicker they grow.

 

[canoeguide]

Cool thread, thanks for updating. Any growing techniques that you've found to be especially fruitful? I've noticed they can take more frequent waterings than generally advertised. In 100% pumice, seems like the more frequently I water them, the quicker they grow.

For starters, I know that people give these a ton of high-N fertilizer and they seem to like it. Mine probably would have grown even more this summer if I had them in full sun all day long (they only got full sunlight until around 1 pm) and if I had watered them more often (I only watered 2x per week). I think you are correct about watering since the ones that I have in pure diatomaceous earth (sifted, but fine Napa 8822) seemed to grow faster than those in coarser lava/pumice/etc. The DE holds a lot of moisture. I tend to keep these pretty dry to encourage root growth, but in full sun when it's hot they can likely take both heavy fert and regular watering. Indoors in the winter I all but ignore them, watering sometimes as infrequently as every 2 weeks. They just don't need it then when they aren't really growing.

 

[canoeguide]

Here's an update of everything from the original little $5 pot, 3 years later. Before and after photos are below.

Probably the best overall result here, with the best future in a year or two. Recovered from a rodent chewing it just fine.


Planted too far to the right in this pot, but I have a vision for this.


Nothing exciting has happened here, but it's thicker and a little better. I haven't thrown it away yet.


The forest/group planting started from the little yellow pot. The twisted trunks started from the two little black pots. (Yes, I knew/know they don't fuse - this was put together with some leggy cuttings on a lark.)