Mike M.
New Member
How do you destroy bottlebrush without removing them from the earth?
bottlebrush
- Thread starter Mike M.
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Ekka
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm not sure we understand what you are after but I have a huge knowledge on this species, Callistemon's. They belong to the Proteace family and have a protiod root system, hate phosphorous, and generally tend to get a fair bit of deadwood.
They generally will have multi-leaders close to the base if not at the base.
If you want to kill it and not have to stump grind etc, just cut it off at ground level and poison the stump with something like Round Up straight after cutting it.
I hope this helps you?
They generally will have multi-leaders close to the base if not at the base.
If you want to kill it and not have to stump grind etc, just cut it off at ground level and poison the stump with something like Round Up straight after cutting it.
I hope this helps you?
Jim1NZ
ArboristSite Guru
Straight round up and diesel 1:1
vharrison2
Member
Ekka, that is so true about the deadwood. Any idea why?
Ekka
Addicted to ArboristSite
Many of our shrubby natives are inundated with small deadwood. You'd go nuts try to clean them out.
I think it's an evolutionary thing where it's a type of self mulching system to assist in weed/grass suppression and adding organic matter to our poor soils.
In the domestic garden a good pruning, and even a savage lopping sorts out these natives and gives them a flush of new growth. Don't forget that in their native environment fires were a regular way of keeping them in check.
Callistemon viminalis (weeping bottlebrush) is the largest of the lot and will grow to about 30' if in ideal soil and never cut. They get straggly and a lot of dead wood ... quite often there's not much you can do with these other than cut them down (lop) them to about 3' to 6' high. It is contraversial but is even accepted amongst the hardcore non-loppers that it's about the only way of dealing with them. Old saying over here, those natives need a good hacking every few years ... in the majority of cases most grevilleas and bottlebrush only grow 10' high.
Having had a complete native garden with a wide assortment of shrubs I soon learnt not to let them grow big and mature but to prune them annually, in fact using hedge shears to tip prune them was the best method but still over time they got bigger and needed a good hack back.
I think it's an evolutionary thing where it's a type of self mulching system to assist in weed/grass suppression and adding organic matter to our poor soils.
In the domestic garden a good pruning, and even a savage lopping sorts out these natives and gives them a flush of new growth. Don't forget that in their native environment fires were a regular way of keeping them in check.
Callistemon viminalis (weeping bottlebrush) is the largest of the lot and will grow to about 30' if in ideal soil and never cut. They get straggly and a lot of dead wood ... quite often there's not much you can do with these other than cut them down (lop) them to about 3' to 6' high. It is contraversial but is even accepted amongst the hardcore non-loppers that it's about the only way of dealing with them. Old saying over here, those natives need a good hacking every few years ... in the majority of cases most grevilleas and bottlebrush only grow 10' high.
Having had a complete native garden with a wide assortment of shrubs I soon learnt not to let them grow big and mature but to prune them annually, in fact using hedge shears to tip prune them was the best method but still over time they got bigger and needed a good hack back.
JamesTX
ArboristSite Operative
30'? I didn't realize they got that big. My wife and I love them and planted them all around our house. Now, I'm thinking that we planted them too close. I guess I'll have to watch them closely so they don't damage the slab.
Ekka
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yeah crikey,
I said the viminalis is the largest and grows to 30', the bulk of them are only shrubs up to 10' high ... gee the Little John only gets 3' high
So chill out, I doubt they'll get to be a problem, and you can pretty much prune them where-ever you want check this out
http://www.austraflora.com/pruning.htm
Also it's best to prune them in the warmer months not winter. That's right, unlike your common way of thinking of pruning when in dormancy prune in the growing season. Why?
Because they need to shoot straight away and if you prune in winter, you risk that limb/branch/twig etc dying!
I said the viminalis is the largest and grows to 30', the bulk of them are only shrubs up to 10' high ... gee the Little John only gets 3' high
So chill out, I doubt they'll get to be a problem, and you can pretty much prune them where-ever you want check this out
http://www.austraflora.com/pruning.htm
Also it's best to prune them in the warmer months not winter. That's right, unlike your common way of thinking of pruning when in dormancy prune in the growing season. Why?
Because they need to shoot straight away and if you prune in winter, you risk that limb/branch/twig etc dying!
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