Last year we bought a callistemon splendens, and it seems to be
growing nicely (full sun, south-facing wall), but according to the
books it should have flowered in early spring - and we've seen nowt.

Does callistemon take a few years before it starts flowering? Over the
last couple of weeks it's started developing buds all over its stems,
but we don't know if they're the start of the flowers or just more
shoots.

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 00:30:49 +0000 (UTC), GR
wrote:

Last year we bought a callistemon splendens, and it seems to be
growing nicely (full sun, south-facing wall), but according to the
books it should have flowered in early spring - and we've seen nowt.

With luck you have bought Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens', since
there is no splendens as a straight species. It is medium to large
shrub with large spikes of very showy, brilliant scarlet flowers - the
brightest and most vivid of any Callistemon. Mine has been in flower
for the past 3 weeks and early summer (not early spring) is the
correct flowering time for this variety, in this country. To check
whether you have the right plant, wait until the shoots are starting
to expand. New growths will be coppery-pink coloured and covered with
silky hairs. The leaves for this plant can grow up to 10cms. long and
2cms. across - possibly the largest of the Callistemons.

Does callistemon take a few years before it starts flowering? Over the
last couple of weeks it's started developing buds all over its stems,
but we don't know if they're the start of the flowers or just more
shoots.

After planting, Callistemons can be a bit late to commence growing
following the first winter - especially young plants that have been
tunnel-grown in the nursery. C. citrinus 'Splendens' is not the
hardiest of the genus and needs a warm, sunny wall to do really well.
Given that and a free draining soil, it should provide you with a riot
of colour every year. I've had 1 year rooted cuttings flower before
now, so they don't need to be established or of any age in order to
flower.

All Callistemons flower on shoots produced in the previous year and
the large buds at the very tips of those shoots produce the flowers.
If these are damaged by frost or cut off by pruning at the wrong time,
the flowers will be lost for that year. Any pruning should be carried
out immediately after the flowers have faded. I usually cut away the
old flower heads together with a few inches of stem. This method
forces the production of 3 or 4 good strong shoots, each of which will
flower the following year.

HTH
Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November
Drop 's' when mailing

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:240688

In article , Dave Poole
writes
All Callistemons flower on shoots produced in the previous year and
the large buds at the very tips of those shoots produce the flowers.
If these are damaged by frost or cut off by pruning at the wrong time,
the flowers will be lost for that year. Any pruning should be carried
out immediately after the flowers have faded. I usually cut away the
old flower heads together with a few inches of stem. This method
forces the production of 3 or 4 good strong shoots, each of which will
flower the following year.

So if I have a Callistemon of uncertain parentage given to me as a
cutting, which has not yet flowered and is getting a bit leggy (I've run
out of S facing wall and it's in the greenhouse) I should be OK pruning
it early in the season but shouldn't prune it much later than now?
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Kay wrote:

So if I have a Callistemon of uncertain parentage given to me as a
cutting, which has not yet flowered and is getting a bit leggy (I've run
out of S facing wall and it's in the greenhouse) I should be OK pruning
it early in the season but shouldn't prune it much later than now?

Got it in one. The further north you live, the longer it will need of
the growing season to make decent strong shoots that can ripen
sufficiently to flower next year. Being a typical Oz plant it wants
plenty of hot sun. The great thing is that they will take a fair
degree of hard pruning and can re-sprout from old wood. Leggy,
unproductive plants can be pruned much earlier than now and will
produce up to 4 new shoots per cut end of stem.

Kay, if you are going to have to retain your plant in a pot, give it a
decent sized container so it can develop a good sized root system. A
good compost is a mix of 4 parts JI No.2 to 1 part coarse sand or
horticultural grit. Most Callistemons can be successfully
constrained within a 30cm. diameter pot and if top-dressed with fresh
compost each spring, will live happily and flower well for many years.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November
Drop 's' when mailing

In article , Dave Poole
writes
Kay wrote:

Kay, if you are going to have to retain your plant in a pot, give it a
decent sized container so it can develop a good sized root system. A
good compost is a mix of 4 parts JI No.2 to 1 part coarse sand or
horticultural grit. Most Callistemons can be successfully
constrained within a 30cm. diameter pot and if top-dressed with fresh
compost each spring, will live happily and flower well for many years.

Thanks for that advice. It's in about an 8 inch pot atm, so time to
repot. We're sorting the greenhouse to give more space for the non-
cacti, so it's a good time.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

With luck you have bought Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens', since
there is no splendens as a straight species

Yes, that's the one. It was an impulse purchase at the garden centre -
they had a large display specimen in flower and I thought "I gotta get
me one of those!" =;-)

After planting, Callistemons can be a bit late to commence growing
following the first winter - especially young plants that have been
tunnel-grown in the nursery

I don't know how old it was when we bought it, but we had snow last
winter (we live in Essex, and snow is a rarity) and the tips of the
stems seemed to suffer. I removed the frost-damaged parts and it came
back strongly - plenty of green bushy growth, but no evidence of large
flower buds. Given what you said, the frost probably did for the
flowers for this year

Many thanks for the other advice!

GR

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 16:15:07 +0000 (UTC), GR
wrote:

I don't know how old it was when we bought it, but we had snow last
winter (we live in Essex, and snow is a rarity) and the tips of the
stems seemed to suffer.

Ah, that's why no flowers then. Oddly, some gardening books (written
by 'gurus' who ought to know better than copy and recycle old and
erroneous advice) cite this as one of the most reliable and hardy of
the Callistemons. They are utterly wrong and probably confusing it
with toughies such as those derived from C. rigidus and C. linearis.
The flower buds, which can be rather small in winter, are prone to
frost damage and easily destroyed. The plant will survive, but rarely
flower in frosty areas unless given some protection during very cold
weather. Draping a couple of layers of fleece over the plant during
such periods is effective and the rewards of those vivid flowers are
surely worth the small amount of effort. Good luck with yours.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November
Drop 's' when mailing

In article , Dave Poole
writes
Mine has been in flower
for the past 3 weeks and early summer (not early spring)

Mine will be in flower in about a week.
I suspect David's garden being that much sheltered and south of me
induces his plants to flower before mine!


If you want to sow the seed wait until NEXT year for this years seed,
then once it is about a year old bring it in and put it somewhere very
warm. Within about 24 hours millions of tiny seeds will be released from
the capsules. You can't use this years seed as it obviously needs to be
old and subject to intense heat (something to do with forest fires
perhaps?)

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk