Return to the Australian Native Plants Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
Posted by andrewparsonsuk Dorset UK (My Page) on Fri, Feb 29, 08 at 7:07
I bought a variety of Banksia seeds last year and these germinated well in my greenhouse. I was careful not to overwater them but after they had put out the second or third pair of leaves they generally died. The leaves turned brown and then the plants died.
The Banksia Speciosa survived best and I have recently repotted these. They are outside and have been all winter, although close to the house so they have not suffered frost.
These are not looking too well as the leaves are too yellow and I want to save them. What can I do?
I have photos but cannot see how to attach them too my posting.
This is all happening in Southern UK.
|
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
- Posted by wollemia Blue Mountains, NSW (My Page) on
Fri, Feb 29, 08 at 8:22
| From the pictures, I would guess that you do not have enough (coarse) sand in the the soil. |
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
| I'd be keeping them in the greenhouse over winter also, Andrew. I'm not too sure how you would save them, as I don't know what the problem is with them I can't offer any advice. If you read the post I made in relpy to your other post and provide a bit of feedback, I should be able to suggest something. Cheers, Jim |
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
| I have a few year old Banksia marginata in my garden that had very sickly yellow foliage for couple of years. I thought it might have been iron defficiency but addition of iron to the soil had no effect. I decided to try some magnesium and got an immediate response with the foliage greening up nicely. Perhaps you should try adding some magnesium. |
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
Thanks for the feedback. I have had a good look on the web and have ordered some chelated iron (which also contains magnesium) and will give them a foliar spray. It seems that the worse thing to do is to be too kind to them and fertilise them. However they can suffer from iron and it seems magnesium deficiencies.
Our soil is sandy and light so it is well drained. Have bought and planted some banksias from an English nursery that specialises in them (The Old Walled Garden in Kent) and they are surviving well, although one of them is looking a little yellow (*gulp*) so I'll go down the iron/magnesium and no added fertiliser route.
If this works then I'll have a go at some more seeds. The mix that I started them off in was a mixture of sand, potting compost and perlite, roughly thirds.
Thanks for the help and encouragement. |
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
| Sounds great, Andrew. I final word on the fertilising - it's a myth that Australian plants don't like fertilising. Only some of them (mostly Protaceae family, incl. Banksias) are highly sensitive to phorphorus and require an N:P:K adjusted fertiliser (ratio should be somewhere around 17:<2:8). I use a controlled release that I put in my potting-on mixes for natives such as Banskia, as well as a yearly light application on the garden beds, usually in Autumn, but you might like to do it earlier seeing as you're in a colder climate. It's quite impossible to produce a good, healthy horticultural specimen like a Banksia without using any fertilisers, preferably organic too. Nutrition is important in the early stages of development, even in 'tough' Australian plants like Banksias. Once they're in the ground and establishing, then I back off on the fertilisers until I think the plant can handle it 'on its own!' Good luck and let us know how you get on! |
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
- Posted by gonow NSW AUST (My Page) on
Sat, Mar 8, 08 at 2:44
| My experience differs from native jims. We grow many genus for bush regen and find the east coast banksias don't thrive when fertilized even with modest amounts of low phosphorus fertilizer. It is usually fatal. Banksias along with isopogons and petrophiles are the worst affected. Your mix sounds fine.I suspect the average temperature could be a factor. Perhaps try sowing some in spring as early as possible and when planting them position on the south side of masonry walls if possible. |
RE: Banksias Germinating well but then failing
| | |
| I've found (east Aussie) coast banksias no problem at all, especially marginata, ericafolia, spinulosa, oblongifolia and even occidentalis - although this is a W.A. one. Occasionally, though, some need a little iron chelates to correct yellowing. However most West Australian ones - and I tried 9 last year including speciosa. All failed except one, banksia coccinea (Posted a picture of the flower to this page about 12 months ago). Expecting them to grow in England, I think you'd might as well try and whistling Dixie, in other words I reckon I'd have a better chance growing a peony or dogwood or the blue poppy (meconopsis) here in the Aussie sub-tropics. Be honest with you, I'd say give it up! |
|
|
|
|
