I’ve been fascinated with baobabs since I read a book called “The Upside Down Tree” as a child. That fascination has stayed with me into adulthood. A google search will produce images of baobab stands in Madagascar, Australia, Africa, and the Arabian peninsula looking alien and magnificent. There are nine species of baobabs worldwide, of which six are found in Madagascar. The fruits and leaves are edible. The tree in today’s blog, Adansonia gregorii (also sometimes classified as Adansonia gibbosa) is native to Australia. I bought it online from Bonsai Collectables along with two other baobab species. Those will be the subjects of future blogs. All three trees arrived May 23, 2013.
The tree yesterday.
The tree potted up the day after its arrival.
The first growing season.
February 9, 2014:
The tree during its first winter. I keep all baobab trees inside during winter dormancy and do not water them (this one was placed outside for the picture).
The tree in its second summer.
The tree barerooted for repotting. It was placed on a saucer to try to encourage lateral root growth.
Sprouting in June.
Still growing in November, along with a companion pepper.
The tree in dormancy. It will not be watered until new growth returns.
No new growth, tree moved outside for summer but still not watered.
Small green sprouts visible, begin watering once or twice a week.
The tree starting its fourth growing season. The goal was to thicken the trunk.
End of the growing season. The tree stays outside until nighttime temperatures fall to the lower 50s fahrenheit. It is brought inside if it rains during this period.
Largest trunk chopped.
Abundant new growth around chop.
Wired.
Summer growth.
Late season growth.
Beginning to enter dormancy.
At the start of sixth growing season I removed all but two branches from the trunk chop.
At the end of growing season, the tree is still too lanky.
The tree before the second trunk was chopped.
Both trunks chopped, tree removed from pot.
Root mass before pruning.
Pruned root mass.
The tree today. It has not been watered since last fall. Since the removed branches were beginning to bud, occasional watering will begin next week.
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