Callistemon in deveopment.

[petegreg]

@Craigm, those flowers are amazing! I think I'm at the limit of a number of conditions for survival. Long wet winters and cool summers, but getting warmer. and now that my bottle brush is under cover....who knows? I cut it back hard every spring and it buds well, but has never flowered. First in an oribe pot then in the cream one, not this bright in real life, and painted just to see . Another pot is on the way from Yamafusa kiln. The trunk is hollow. View attachment 113228 View attachment 113229 View attachment 113230

Beautiful tree. Is this citrinus and how tall is it, 50 cm?

edit: Oh, I have just red back... And Melaleuca is on my wish list. I'll check it and might acquire C. viminalis from one SK bonsai center... Thanks for switching light on, Craig.

 

[Starfox]

sorry for thread interupt @Starfox

No worries!
It's all good stuff and I certainly don't mind at all.

@Starfox

View attachment 113231

Something like that could be quite nice.
I need to see what survives the next chop before I get too carried away with it. Much of the growth is on that upper part of the trunk you can see better on the pic below and which I plan on removing, thankfully it will back bud really well and should end up with a lot of choice.



@jcrossett here is a better shot of the bark.

 

[Shima]

yep i think when you prune in Spring you are cutting off the parts which will flower. Your actually doing yourself in mate.
Do the last hard cut back mid winter and do not pinch or prune until you see it flower which should be early Summer for you.
Have a go and see if this works, i reckon it will mate. Like i said Awesome Tree.

I don't cut any new growth. Only last years back to hard wood then new branches pop where there weren't any before. Do they flower in spring? Seasons here are screwy. It never freezes, maybe down to 5 or 6C rarely and never over 30C in summer. Then in January we get 2 months like summer so the maples pop and I re-pot but then it cools down again so it's fungus city. Only Metrosideros polymorpha and camellia like it here.

 

[Shima]

I don't cut any new growth. Only last years back to hard wood then new branches pop where there weren't any before. Do they flower in spring? Seasons here are screwy. It never freezes, maybe down to 5 or 6C rarely and never over 30C in summer. Then in January we get 2 months like summer so the maples pop and I re-pot but then it cools down again so it's fungus city. Only Metrosideros polymorpha and camellia like it here.

"until you see it flower which should be early Summer for you." Oops, I missed this, duh.

 

[Craigm]

"until you see it flower which should be early Summer for you." Oops, I missed this, duh.

I don't know, it's just a suggestion to try .
Are you certain it is Callistemon not Syzgium, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium

Maybe @petegreg can help as I am sure you both have Same Trees(if they're both calli's) and his has a flower.

Let us know how it all goes plse, cheers guys.

Craig.

 

[petegreg]

Mine was labeled C. citrinus, now probably Melaleuca c. From the Syzygium family I'm familiar with S. paniculatum only. The leaves are completely different, smaller and softer. It's flowering right now and the flowers are similar to common myrtle.
I prune my melaleuca in the middle of summer for the last time every year. Cold room for wintering. The flowers come in spring (april/may) with the first new growth. Nothing more special in my care, fertilizing with organic fert spring-fall, morning sun exposure.

 

[Shima]

I don't know, it's just a suggestion to try .
Are you certain it is Callistemon not Syzgium, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium

Maybe @petegreg can help as I am sure you both have Same Trees(if they're both calli's) and his has a flower.

Let us know how it all goes plse, cheers guys.

Craig.

Oh! I have no idea. There are lots of Syzygium it appears. It's all leafed out now so I'll take a shot tomorrow. A new pot is finally on it's way. Not having any experience with this species in terms of how careful I need to be regarding roots, I wonder if I could slip pot it now or better to wait 'till next spring. much for all the interesting info.
Happy days

Bruce

 

[Craigm]

Oh! I have no idea. There are lots of Syzygium it appears. It's all leafed out now so I'll take a shot tomorrow. A new pot is finally on it's way. Not having any experience with this species in terms of how careful I need to be regarding roots, I wonder if I could slip pot it now or better to wait 'till next spring. much for all the interesting info.
Happy days

Bruce

Usually Callistemon are repotted right after flowering. You can trim back the branches or not. The roots usually can be trimmed back also on repotting,
although I don't have experience with your species. Anytime when the temps are warm but not redhot and the Tree will be able to re-bud without too much delay is a good time to repot. A good idea is to trim branches and when it is just about to pop new buds,repot .I'm sure you could easily slip it but does it really need to go into another container right away.

 

[MichaelS]

No worries!
It's all good stuff and I certainly don't mind at all.



Something like that could be quite nice.
I need to see what survives the next chop before I get too carried away with it. Much of the growth is on that upper part of the trunk you can see better on the pic below and which I plan on removing, thankfully it will back bud really well and should end up with a lot of choice.

View attachment 113232

@jcrossett here is a better shot of the bark.

View attachment 113233

Viminalis develop fantastic bark when old enough. As good as anything you can imagine.

 

[petegreg]

Usually Callistemon are repotted right after flowering. You can trim back the branches or not. The roots usually can be trimmed back also on repotting,
although I don't have experience with your species. Anytime when the temps are warm but not redhot and the Tree will be able to re-bud without too much delay is a good time to repot. A good idea is to trim branches and when it is just about to pop new buds,repot .I'm sure you could easily slip it but does it really need to go into another container right away.

It's always good to let people from the parts where the tree is native speak. Last time I repotted in the spring when the buds started swelling and worried about it for a while. Thanks Craigh, another species for late spring / summer repotting?

 

[Shima]

It's always good to let people from the parts where the tree is native speak. Last time I repotted in the spring when the buds started swelling and worried about it for a while. Thanks Craigh, another species for late spring / summer repotting?

Yes, that's why I asked. I thought I remembered something about this species having touchy roots.

 

[Shima]

Usually Callistemon are repotted right after flowering. You can trim back the branches or not. The roots usually can be trimmed back also on repotting,
although I don't have experience with your species. Anytime when the temps are warm but not redhot and the Tree will be able to re-bud without too much delay is a good time to repot. A good idea is to trim branches and when it is just about to pop new buds,repot .I'm sure you could easily slip it but does it really need to go into another container right away.

So, SOP for repotting then. It's in a larger pot than shown waiting for this new pot. It doesn't NEED to be repotted, I just WANT too.
Again, appreciate the useful information from the natives.

 

[Shima]

Here are the shots as promised. Callistemon or Syzgium?

 

[petegreg]

Here are the shots as promised. Callistemon or Syzgium? View attachment 113558 View attachment 113559 View attachment 113561

Callileuca? Very nice tree, the colour of flowers will help with ID.

 

[Shima]

Callileuca? Very nice tree, the colour of flowers will help with ID.

For sure, if it ever flowers.

 

[Craigm]

Here are the shots as promised. Callistemon or Syzgium? View attachment 113558 View attachment 113559 View attachment 113561

What ever it is your doing great with it. It's a lovely bit of work and a great Tree.Foliage is quite special with the redish new growth..
Thankx for the pics

 

[Shima]

Thanks Craig! Imagine my surprise when I first discovered that all the holes were connected. A borer was having a field day.
Time to get on with wiring.

 

[Shima]

OK here we are a year later after stretching out in a grow pot for a year and damn, I didn't cut back early/mid winter. Just entered a reminder in the calendar for next year. She's in her new robes direct from Yamafusa. Thank you Keiichi Hanaori! Not many bones but she still fills in nicely later on. Nebari is coming along. To me, the strong point of this tree.

 

[Craigm]

Coming on real Nice mate, I'm loving the Nebari as you are. Lovely Bark and Euros aswell, cheers for the update.

 

[Starfox]

That base flare!
Very nice indeed.

So here is an update for you all, every single one of my Callistemons in training have fert burn, bad. Turns out the seaweed "revitaliser" they sell here is about 300 times the strength of the type of product I am used to(seasol), needless to say they got dosed pretty bad. Got all my young Melaleucas too.
I'm a bit devastated but if they can be saved I'm more than happy to start over with them. I kind of expect them to bounce back naturally, eventually but wonder if cutting back hard would help speed things up.