Help with soil mix for UCLA Horticulture course - Banksia menziesii

[thomas.r.silverman]

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone will be able to help me with any knowledge of growing Banksia menziesii?

For a paper I'm working on as a part of UCLA's Horticulture certificate I have to find a few different opinions on growing a plant of my choice (Banksia menziesii).

I'm imagining these plants will be young, in 4" pots. I've seen that a sandy loam is ideal, but wondering if anyone has an ideal mixture they like/or imagine they would use? These would have been grown from seed here in zone 10b.

Also any favoured fertiliser that may be added would be good to know too.

Many thanks in advance!
Thomas

 

[Mike Allen]

Hello Thomas.
Well you cerainly have chosen the worlds best uni to study with. Back in the late 60's and early 70's. I did my groundsmans and athletic stadium management course with London Univercity, part of UCL. I then furher gained my doctrate in plant pathology and plant sciences also soil sciences..

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[thomas.r.silverman]

Hello Thomas.
Well you cerainly have chosen the worlds best uni to study with. Back in the late 60's and early 70's. I did my groundsmans and athletic stadium management course with London Univercity, part of UCL. I then furher gained my doctrate in plant pathology and plant sciences also soil sciences..

.

Hi Mike,

Oh that's great! This is a certificate program so relatively early days for me, but soil science has certainly opened my eyes the importance of the world below the plants. I didn't ever think it would be a part of plant sciences that would interest me as much, but it certainly has!

I have a unit coming up on pathology and pests so I'm looking forward to that.

Also I see you're in Kent, I'm from Essex originally. I was living in London for 12 years currently in my second year of California living. Very different planting game out here!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone will be able to help me with any knowledge of growing Banksia menziesii?

For a paper I'm working on as a part of UCLA's Horticulture certificate I have to find a few different opinions on growing a plant of my choice (Banksia menziesii).

I'm imagining these plants will be young, in 4" pots. I've seen that a sandy loam is ideal, but wondering if anyone has an ideal mixture they like/or imagine they would use? These would have been grown from seed here in zone 10b.

Also any favoured fertiliser that may be added would be good to know too.

Many thanks in advance!
Thomas

Nice to meet you Thomas, I too am Thomas. I have not grown one so was interested to read about the plant. Your plant has a taste for the mediterranean climate, and loves a super well drained soil requiring little water across a dry summer. The roots are easily rotted when humid conditions creep up. This leads me to believe high airspace is of use. Refracted clays may be off broadway but useful in your need for diverse mixes as a result. A bonsai soil basically.

I read that it blooms through june in the southern hemisphere, which would be a fall bloom if I understand the timing correctly. I wonder how that will manifest North of the equator?

 

[thomas.r.silverman]

Nice to meet you Thomas, I too am Thomas. I have not grown one so was interested to read about the plant. Your plant has a taste for the mediterranean climate, and loves a super well drained soil requiring little water across a dry summer. The roots are easily rotted when humid conditions creep up. This leads me to believe high airspace is of use. Refracted clays may be off broadway but useful in your need for diverse mixes as a result. A bonsai soil basically.

I read that it blooms through june in the southern hemisphere, which would be a fall bloom if I understand the timing correctly. I wonder how that will manifest North of the equator?

Hi Thomas,

I wonder too re the bloom, I would hesitate to guess at a late October bloom here in zone 10b? I'm yet to find anyone I know growing them here but would like to see that.

Very interesting information using a bonsai soil. I'll look into that further.

Most helpful thank you!

Thomas