Little Spekboom... then and now.

[Orion_metalhead]

How often and with what are you fertilizing? You said youve been fertilizing heavily?

I have a pot of these outside now and im trying to get them to finally start acting like they like me.

 

[just.wing.it]

How often and with what are you fertilizing? You said youve been fertilizing heavily?

I have a pot of these outside now and im trying to get them to finally start acting like they like me.

I use 20-20-20 water soluble chemical blue juice, weekly, year round.....and when its outdoors in summer, it gets fish emulsion and chem in a weekly rotation.

I basically subscribe to the theory that you can't fertilize too much, the plant will take what it wants, the rest will run out of the bottom of the pot......and I water frequently.

 

[just.wing.it]

They say these trees don't like a lot of water, but in my experience they do. They can deal without any water for quite a while. And they may grow more root during that time, which is good to do now and then. But you can order them just as much as anything else.

 

[fredman]

They say these trees don't like a lot of water, but in my experience they do. They can deal without any water for quite a while.

Yeah they are extraordinary trees. They can go without and be flooded. Don't make a difference to them. They're born survivors. The guy I got mine from had it in a big pot outside in clay garden soil. It stood like than on the same spot for 15+ years. Stayed flooded every winter for 6 months and it grew without missing a beat.... had a 5 inch trunk.
They grow best and fastest when the pot is placed on the ground. The roots shoots quickly into the ground and it being a succulent, don't sulk much when the roots are cut to get the pot out the ground again.

 

[MrWunderful]

They say these trees don't like a lot of water, but in my experience they do. They can deal without any water for quite a while. And they may grow more root during that time, which is good to do now and then. But you can order them just as much as anything else.

I have found that too. I water the crap out of mine, pound them with slow release (organic) and weekly blue juice. Sometimes I let them get super dry (no water for 2-3 days) then hit them with the miracle grow hard two days in a row on my strongest ones. Out of the (4) varieties I have, the “regular” afra grows the craziest when subject to aggressive fert. I have never done it scientifically, but I swear I can get 1/8” or maybe more a day on my biggest porty.

 

[just.wing.it]

Pics from now.

 

[just.wing.it]

Some pics....I noticed the base of the tree getting fat!...even on the opposite side of the low shoots.
I think the reverse taper will be gone soon.

The beginning....

 

[just.wing.it]

And today....

 

[MrWunderful]

Yeah dude looks great! Let those suckers on the base just run.

 

[Carol 83]

Quite a transformation, very cool.

 

[just.wing.it]

I think today I will repot this tree into this @sorce pot!
The pot is large for the tree now, but I want it to have more room.
I won't be removing many, or any roots.

 

[just.wing.it]

 

[just.wing.it]

Plopped down in the center, a bit deeper than before.... chunkier substrate than before.
I'm glad I decided to repot, the tree had a mat of rotten roots at the bottom, and a few large roots were getting out of control.
I did correct a couple large and crossing roots....nebari should start to get nice in a few years. Once a strong nebari is established, I'll begin looking for a pot....I'm thinking something like a shallow, wide, off-white to light tan colored shallow oval, small feet....we'll see.

For now, this pot will give it a good home to grow out for the rest of the summer, and look good doing it .

 

[just.wing.it]

Some work on the Spekboom's little bro.
Before haircut, with Fire Agate and unknown stone:



After haircut, with unknown translucent purplish-black stone and Pyrite.

 

[Colorado]

F’n sick @sorce pot!!!!

 

[sorce]

F’n sick @sorce pot!!!!

A bucket of mistakes in which everything went right!

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

F’n sick @sorce pot!!!!

Thank you!
Definitely one of my favorite pots! Maybe #1 on the list.
Id like to get my small j maple seed variety in this pot eventually.

 

[just.wing.it]

Gonna be coming indoors soon....had 2 nights in the 40's this week.
Supposed to warm back up, so I'm holding off as long as I can.
Was hot again today.

 

[Warpig]

Vary nice! Do you play to grow the branches out any or are you trying to keep it tight?

 

[just.wing.it]

Vary nice! Do you play to grow the branches out any or are you trying to keep it tight?

I plan to let it run a bit this winter.
Its still recovering from repotting.