From Broadleaf Division: BeepBeep’s Chilean Mesquite

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I have many Chilean mesquite seedlings I’m using for the forest contest, but one of these will be for this contest

If anything, the 2 seedlings at the bottom of the image are the shortest ones in the bunch and may be used for this. I’ll decide later

The tallest seedling is 8” tall

 

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3 mos old

The 2 smallest are 4 1/2- 5” tall. The tallest are 10- 10 1/2” tall

3 of them developed some movement at their base on their own

 

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Monthly growth update!

The 2 smallest are 5” and the 2 tallest are 12”! (Tallest at at the front of the first photo)

 

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Update pics

 

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These 5 just couldn’t pull out of winter. The 3 smaller rooted ones prob died beginning of winter

I’ll do a full update in a few days

 

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Update time!

Tallest is 13” and smallest is 4”. I’m wondering if I should repot these into uncut 1gal containers and let the roots do their thing. My initial thought was get the roots flat, but that may not have been the best way to go about it

First 3 show all them. Last 2 shows my favorites

 

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Monthly update!

Tallest is 15” and smallest is still 4”. One died (second pic in front). Another seems to have had severe dieback for whatever reason, but was able to keep a really low branch, so it’s still going (5th pic)

I pulled out the dead one to check how it’s roots were doing and they look good

Last pic shows my fav one

Again, need to figure out a slippot. I don’t feel like buying 18 new pots. Maybe I could cut down some larger ones I have. Get some width and depth

 

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Meant to post this yesterday

Smallest is 7” and tallest is 19”. The tallest lost a lot of lower material due to a few 100+ days and a missed watering. Luckily, it still had enough leaves higher up to keep going

Last photo shows my favorite one

 

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Monthly update!

Tallest is 21”. The shortest one ended up having a hiding limb under the next shelf I never saw, so it’s not 7”, it’s 12”. Now the smallest one is a different tree at 10”

Also had 2 die off from a missed watering (but one is recovering). It’s been well over 100F lately (normal for July) so have been doing one water in the afternoon and at least 2 misting/ showers morning and late afternoon. 3 if it’s close to 110

I’m thinking of getting some sort of misting system set up and a timer that can do multiple times a day

 

[BeepBeepBonsaiSheep]

Time for an update!

Everything has been looking good! Did a light fertilizing a few wks ago and did a full fertilizing a few days ago. 2 have not taken kindly to it (last 2 pics) The others seem shocked as they’re not opening their leaves as you can see

The one that died off last month has actually recovered. See photo 4. It’s looking nice and even has some decent structure

Tallest is 27” and shortest, the one that has some back from the dead, is 10”

 

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All right, monthly update!

Tallest is 30” and shortest is 20”. The shortest of the recovered is 6”

And about that! All the ones that died back last month have recovered. See pics 4-6. And the last pic is one that died back 2 mos ago and doing great

Sorry if they may be a little hard to pick out with all the other stuff. I’ll try to find some time to take one last “good” pic before leaves drop for fall

I’m thinking one of these may make a decent literati. Would need to wire one or two up before they harden off

 

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Update time!

Tallest is 36” and smallest is 10”. Not really much else to say

 

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Spring time! Uppotted most of the mesquites a few days ago. I’m not able to tell what has survived winter yet though

Note: everything has shifted around, so you won’t be able to look at last year's pics hoping to see what looks better

 

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3 are leafing out finally!

 

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These 10 have yet to leaf out. I did a bark scratch on one and it’s brown. All the branches just snap too

So only left with the 3

 

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Out of the 3, only this one has leafed out. 20 down to 1 in 3 years. Last year was devastating with 10 being lost

Here’s the lone survivor this morning. I cut off it’s long top to get growth to the one limb. I’m liking how this one is working out

I wonder if I should take the top all the way down and not mess with the straight bit

Yah, that’s prob the better option. Get the growth where I want it and maybe get growth on the old wood