Raintrees!!!

Take care! That thing has grown like crazy Love it. That could never happen in IL. Of course, we don't have hurricanes or tropical storms, just the occasional tornado.
 
My potted BRT isn't doing as well. I think he's going to get yanked out of the pot and planted somewhere once I figured out where.
 
Came back from a week in Paris and my potted BRT is looking dreadful. I had my son watering, which means it may have got a sip now and then.

I'm thinking of planting it in the ground. My in ground BRT is doing fabulously well.
 
Lobaeux said:
Came back from a week in Paris and my potted BRT is looking dreadful. I had my son watering, which means it may have got a sip now and then.

I'm thinking of planting it in the ground. My in ground BRT is doing fabulously well.
Click to expand...
My son watered for me two different weeks when we were on vacation this summer. Didn't work out too well...
 
I'm concerned about reverse taper on this BRT. Here's some pics taken today, it's getting plenty of growth. But, not sure if I'm happy about the lower trunk. Should I trim or pinch the sacrifice branch to get growth down low?


IMG_3949.JPG IMG_3951.JPG IMG_3947.JPG
 
Lobaeux said:
I'm concerned about reverse taper on this BRT. Here's some pics taken today, it's getting plenty of growth. But, not sure if I'm happy about the lower trunk. Should I trim or pinch the sacrifice branch to get growth down low?


View attachment 122474 View attachment 122475 View attachment 122476
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I watched a Ryan Neil thing....in it.....

He makes mention of not knowing shit about BRT....

Except for that....they flatten out at the side the branch grows on....

So I would say let it grow...

That side flattening should help you out...

Sorce
 
You're probably right. I just thought that maybe cutting that bottom branch back just abbot would cause some further growth down below.
Eventually, I'm gonna have to cut the branches back a bit. I didn't think it would grow this much or this fast, it's actually starting to spread out over the driveway. A friend of mine was walking by it and got snagged by a thorn.
 
Lobaeux said:
You're probably right. I just thought that maybe cutting that bottom branch back just abbot would cause some further growth down below.
Eventually, I'm gonna have to cut the branches back a bit. I didn't think it would grow this much or this fast, it's actually starting to spread out over the driveway. A friend of mine was walking by it and got snagged by a thorn.
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You hit all of the thoughts that came to my mind in your post. It reminds me a lot of a Russian Olive with the thorns and smooth bark. The RO will backed profusely on old wood... I'm thinking if you need to prune it anyway, try that and I bet it will back bud. And the other thing that comes to mind is if you sweep just a little soil away from the top of the roots you might encourage some shoots to come off the top of the roots themselves. BUT, bear in mind, I have zero experience with these trees.
 
Just cut the sacrifice branches off this morning. There hasn't been much change with this BRT, but it does look a little fuller, but not near as much as the planted one. If I had more room, I'd rip it out of its pot and throw it in the ground.

IMG_4055.JPG
 
My first one looks pretty wild and crazy, but I didn't prune it, because I figured it would drop it's leaves when I moved it inside. But it didn't skip a beat. The little one I got a couple months later, did drop it's leaves, but they're already coming back. I like the movement in yours, mine are pretty straight and boring. Could use some wire, but I'm just going to try and keep them alive until spring.
 
My planted one is getting wild and crazy. Very leggy as well, I'm gonna have to prune it back a bit just because it's getting in the way of walking.

I am planning on defoliating this one here as well.

My BRT in the pot here should be doing better. I like the movement too, but there's just about no taper. Wiring may be tough, I'm using guy wires instead of straight wiring.
 
I've read some people defoliate, but I'm not ready to do that.:eek: Guy wires are probably a good idea, and less dangerous, with all those thorns! Looks like you have removed yours. Might be a good winter project for me. I hope yours does better, it looks a little sulky. You would think it would love the FL weather, I know I would.
 
I took the branches I cut and threw them into a pot too. I thought about air layering them, but I've already got two BRTs and I'm getting a Bald Cypress in February. My wife has said I have to be selective in what trees I get, so if these cuttings don't take root, i don't really lose anything.
 
Carol 83 said:
I've read some people defoliate, but I'm not ready to do that.:eek: Guy wires are probably a good idea, and less dangerous, with all those thorns! Looks like you have removed yours. Might be a good winter project for me. I hope yours does better, it looks a little sulky. You would think it would love the FL weather, I know I would.
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I did remove all the thorns off of mine. The new growth has thorns on them, but the cut thorns haven't regrown.

My tree does look a bit sulky, and it's been fairly sunny here. There are buds all over it just waiting to open, but they haven't yet. Still, I'm starting to grow a little fond of this tree. Besides my Fukien, it's the one I look at and study the most.
 
Lobaeux said:
You're probably right. I just thought that maybe cutting that bottom branch back just abbot would cause some further growth down below.
Eventually, I'm gonna have to cut the branches back a bit. I didn't think it would grow this much or this fast, it's actually starting to spread out over the driveway. A friend of mine was walking by it and got snagged by a thorn.
Click to expand...

No do not cut it if you want that trunk to thicken. Let it grow wild.
The other option is to airlayer above the reverse taper

Here is a guy working on one he airlayered


 
I've watched that YouTube, Paul Pikel does a great job.

I expressed earlier my thought about pruning the sacrifice branches down low in the hopes that it might induce some growth down low.

The only issue I have right now are the branches up top are getting too long and getting into the path of my driveway. I'll need to prune the thorns off so they don't stick anyone.
 
I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this, from all of the tropical haters, but my BRTs are my favorites. I really enjoy their delicate look. @LanceMac10, yours is really enviable! If you ever run out of room, I'll take it off your hands :)
 
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