check my baobabs

Orion_metalhead

Masterpiece
Messages
2,993
Reaction score
4,459
Location
Central NJ
USDA Zone
7a
Here’s a rather convoluted chart when mine has come in and out of leaf. In late 2013, we moved a zone warmer for low temps but coastal and cooler summers. I can see one tiny piece of green now, so hopefully it will be in leaf by July. I have another I bought from Florida that is about a month ahead of this one.

View attachment 246647

I love this chart. Great idea.
 

hemmy

Omono
Messages
1,390
Reaction score
1,717
Location
NE KS (formerly SoCal 10a)
USDA Zone
6a
View attachment 293847
the branch with the leaves has been thread grafted through the back.
really hope it takes - it didn't grow much this past season...

What is your preferred timing for branch pruning? In the past, I’ve waited until after the first flush is out. But that doesn’t appear to give it much time for second flush before our daylight length shrinks and night temps drop.

I’m just starting to see green developing buds, but it will probably be another month or more before it leafs out. I think I’m going to prune now, before it wastes too much energy making buds that I’ll prune off.
 

jason biggs

Chumono
Messages
594
Reaction score
972
Location
south africa
USDA Zone
11a
@hemmy why not just let your branches grow...
Case in point: tree in post #7 looked fantastic end 2018 -
I cut the top branches shorter and it is like the tree has taken 2 steps backwards...
There is an indian video on youtube that has an awe inspiring baobab (he reckons 7 years old)
(in his dreams) that is super lush green - he almost hedge prunes it...
Im sure we need to get the trees looking healthier with more foliage.
 

hemmy

Omono
Messages
1,390
Reaction score
1,717
Location
NE KS (formerly SoCal 10a)
USDA Zone
6a
@hemmy why not just let your branches grow...
Case in point: tree in post #7 looked fantastic end 2018 -
I cut the top branches shorter and it is like the tree has taken 2 steps backwards...
There is an indian video on youtube that has an awe inspiring baobab (he reckons 7 years old)
(in his dreams) that is super lush green - he almost hedge prunes it...
Im sure we need to get the trees looking healthier with more foliage.
I want to eliminate an inward crossing branch and increase ramification. It grew without pruning last year, since I potted it into a bonsai container. The furthest twigs did bifurcate but outside the desired silhouette. I would like to increase ramification for the winter silhouette and for leaf mass which will cause thickening (slowly).

I think I’ll wait to cutback for ramification until we get our max night temps which should be about when buds start to unfurl. For lower backbudding, I’d try a hard cut back during active growing.
 

Attachments

  • 865EC97D-4BE8-4F8B-B8F8-8E53C41D199E.jpeg
    865EC97D-4BE8-4F8B-B8F8-8E53C41D199E.jpeg
    201.5 KB · Views: 101
  • C90A7827-F36E-4590-B0C4-BF7AEFBF1DF5.jpeg
    C90A7827-F36E-4590-B0C4-BF7AEFBF1DF5.jpeg
    199.4 KB · Views: 52

Bnana

Chumono
Messages
641
Reaction score
672
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
8
Awesome trees,
I have two tiny Giant Baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri). They germinated last spring and are growing well. The biggest is about 60 cm tall.
I do want it to become something like in those pictures, not to high but with a nice fat trunk. But it is hard to find info on how and when to prune. Is there an explanation somewhere? or can you give tips?
 

LittleDingus

Omono
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
3,063
Location
Chicago, Illinois
USDA Zone
5
Awesome trees!

I currently have a couple each of digitata, grandidieri, madagascarensis, and fony. Some are 2 years old. Some are this season only. Of those, fony has much smaller leaves. I'm out of town and can't get at my pictures easily at the moment but I'll try to put together a comparison when I get back.

I find they grow like most succulents. When actively growing, water away! Mine don't really "flush". They pretty much grow constantly as long as it is warm enough and I continue to water them.

What species are these? By the look of the bark I'd guess digitata?
 

jason biggs

Chumono
Messages
594
Reaction score
972
Location
south africa
USDA Zone
11a
@Bnana don't worry about cutting when small. You want as much growth as possible - if you want any trunk thickness at all, plant out into a much bigger container.Most of my thicker trunks have been grown out in 100 litre bags and then I cut them back BIG TIME.
Pictures or it didn't happen...
:) @Grovic We had a massive palm tree cut down and that is all that remains (my jungle monkey stand)...
@ LittleDingus post some pictures... I only grow digitata. What is fony? never heard of it??
The golden rule we have is: No leaves no water. It is amazing that they grow in zone 6...
Thanks for all the likes and responses.
 

LittleDingus

Omono
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
3,063
Location
Chicago, Illinois
USDA Zone
5
@ LittleDingus post some pictures... I only grow digitata. What is fony? never heard of it??
The golden rule we have is: No leaves no water. It is amazing that they grow in zone 6...
Thanks for all the likes and responses.

I need to wait til I'm done traveling to get pics.

An alternate name for fony is rubrostipa. It's one of the madagascar species.

I had more but I unpotted everything for the winter and they dried out more than I expected. I lost 5 trees over the winter :( they were young and I have more seed so will try again. I might wait to see if I can get the ones I still have through the winter a little easier first. Seed for species other than digitata and grandidieri are hard to find here :(

They seem to grow fine here in zone 6. My digitata reached a meter in it's first season. They leafed out much later than I was comfortable with and and are growing slower than last season but that may be because of the harsh winter treatment I gave them :(

Do you have any experience with cuttings? I'm going to give a branch cutting a try.. I tried planting the bottoms of the tubers I cut off but they didn't do anything. Can root cuttings work?
 

jason biggs

Chumono
Messages
594
Reaction score
972
Location
south africa
USDA Zone
11a
For 18 years i have on and off tried to grow small cuttings... they grow for a full season well and never root....
The only success i seem to be having now is truncheon cuttings (bit thinner than ones wrist)
I have 1 that is still healthy after 2 years but still no roots (it is starting to bud out again).
 

Arnold

Omono
Messages
1,760
Reaction score
2,665
Location
Canary Islands, Spain
USDA Zone
11B
I was lucky to get some seeds of this beautiful tree, scarified them and they already look promising!!

Dibujo1.png
 

jason biggs

Chumono
Messages
594
Reaction score
972
Location
south africa
USDA Zone
11a
did some more thread grafting - it is very seldom that branches grow out of the top cut...
I have 1 tree out of about 30 that has done this...
 

Attachments

  • 20201010_073536.jpg
    20201010_073536.jpg
    221.5 KB · Views: 45
  • 20201010_073220.jpg
    20201010_073220.jpg
    250.1 KB · Views: 45
  • 20201010_074146.jpg
    20201010_074146.jpg
    402 KB · Views: 97
Top Bottom