Care of young Jacaranda Tree?

Discussion in 'Outdoor Tropicals' started by RogerB, Dec 7, 2008.

  1. RogerB

    RogerB Member

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    Location:
    Alicante Spain
    When my wife died here on Spain's Costa Blanca, just over a year ago, my neighbours asked if they could plant a tree in memory of her, and asked what she'd have liked.
    I said, without hesitation "A jacaranda"...so we got one from the garden centre and planted it late last Autumn.

    They are not uncommon in this area and often bloom twice, the main show being in Spring before the new leaves appear.
    "Bobbie's Tree" has a single trunk about 2+ inches/5cm thick which has had the side-shoots removed, and it branched-out into a 'triple-Y' shape, about 7ft/2m+ above ground.

    It appears to have established well, made several more side shoots and quite a lot of foliage, but no flowers....which I didn't really expect in its first year.

    My question is: is there anything I can do to increase its chances of becoming more vigorous and blooming as soon as possible?
    The general opinion seems to be not to prune, although the 'expert' at the garden centre advised me that I should, and I see that the (more mature) roadside specimens in the local town appear to be 'pollarded' annually and seem OK.
    OTOH many very healthy garden specimens appear to have been left alone and have often developed multiple stems.
    I am naturally anxious not to set-back its development.
    They are beautiful trees which I first encountered in Southern Africa.

    Any expert advice would be welcomed ....this is my first post in this forum...apologies for its length :)

    Roger
     
  2. bertoli55

    bertoli55 Active Member 10 Years

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    Hi RogerB
    Jacarandas are one of my favourite trees - they do really well in Australia so I guess that they do equally well in Spain. I wouldn't prune your tree, they do branch out naturally. There are a lot of jacarandas as street trees here and some are really badly shaped after being badly pruned.
    Be patient and enjoy your tree -the flowers and ferny foliage are magnificent, I even like the seed pods :). I spent many hours climbing in a jacaranda at my parent's place when I was a little kid. Good luck with your tree.
     
  3. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Don't prune it! If you allow it its natural shape it will be a much better tree as it matures. It won't bloom for at least another two years (this is my experience with Jacaranda in Ecuador) but it will continue to get stronger and taller, and will branch out and fill out as it ages. With the young Jacaranda I see here, they tend to look a bit spindly and twee until about 5-6 years after planting, and then they fill out beautifully.
     
  4. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    I have one that is allegedly about 11 years old about 8 foot tall and quite a thin trunk in comparison. How do I get the trunk to fatten up? It does look like it has been pruned in the past.

    Can I post photo's of it on this board to show the details.


    Regards Andy.
     
  5. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Is it outdoors in the wind, or in a sheltered place? Ones in windy locations will get thicker faster. Please post pics!
     
  6. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    It is still it its pot and I have it indoors at the moment but our site outside can be very windy at times. I am considering planting it in the next few weeks.


    Regards Andy.
     
  7. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Once it's outdoors in the elements it will begin to tougen up and thicken - wind resistance is what gives the ones here their lovely thick trunks.

    Oh, Bangor, Maine; Bangor, Pakistan; or somewhere else entirely?
     
  8. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    Bangor, County Down Northern Ireland.

    I had some smaller ones growing a few years ago they lasted about 3 years old grown from very small seedlings they were about 4 foot tall.

    We had a very long dark winter which lasted about 5 months of overcast skies and no sunshine at all, this killed the 3 I had planted in the ground, the one in it's pot came back the next spring. I thought that the planted ones would have survived and the potted one died???

    I have 2 now, the potted survivor and a larger one I got last year, the 11 year old one.


    Regards Andy.
     
  9. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    You need to insulate the in-ground ones, I think. Our wet-season is very similar to your winter - 4-5 months of heavy clouds and rain and hardly any sunshine, and they seem to survive it OK, but I'm sure you get colder in Eire than I do in Ecuador. You might try leaving them in their pots outside for the first year, that way you can easily bring them in if they look like they're suffering.
     
  10. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    I forgot to mention, they both stay out doors during the spring, summer and autmn, they only come in doors during the winter.

    Regards Andy
     
  11. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    That's sensible.
     
  12. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    Iorax,

    Many thanks for your replies, just wondering whether to try planting one again?
    What sort of protection would it need until it gets established?

    I think once that they have survived a few years in the ground and have thickened up on the trunk a wee bit more, I think that they should be OK, the trick is to get them to that stage first though.

    There are some large ones in the south west of the UK in Torquay, Devon, that have been there for years and do flower as well. My climate here is similar and we are blessed by the Gulf Stream. This winter whilst the most of UK has been gripped by Snow, Blizzards and temps averaging around -10C we have only had a few -1.9C's several just sub zero temps and one excursion down to -2.9C. So all in all quite a mild winter climate really, the worst case was a -6C about 9 years ago and that was the lowest for over 15 years.

    I have 32 different species of Palm Tree growing quite happily here, most without any protection at all including Juania australis and Parajubaea torallyii


    Regards Andy.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2009
  13. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Until it's established, I'd be protecting it from the cold (which it will perceive as cold, even if you don't) during the wintertime - wrapping it in burlap or something similar usually does the trick. If you get very windy, you may want to support the trunk with wires until it's larger. Other than that, it should do OK if your weather is what you say it is.

    Do you have Parajubaea cocoides? It sounds like your climate would be ideal for it.
     
  14. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    I have 2 Torallyii and a microcarpa, the torallyii are the fastest, the microcarpa has not really done too much this last 18 months. Most palms need about 3 years to establish though so I am not unduly worried about it just yet
    Rgds Andy
     
  15. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    What is the best fertilizer for Jacarandas?
    How often would you apply it?
    I have some "palm booster" which encourages root growth which I shall be applying too.

    Rgds Andy
     
  16. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    I've always found balanced ferts to be best, and I'm also a great advocate of planting a fish near the base. I fertilize twice a year, but then again I am working in a mix of extremely rich rainforest humus and volcanic soils.
     
  17. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    Planting a Fish????
    What sort of Fish?
    A dead One?

    Confused................???
    Rgds Andy.
     
  18. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Lol, yes, a dead one. I use a catfish because it's easy to catch them in the local river. You can use whatever catch of the day. I find that a fish has about the right blend of nutrients for trees.
     
  19. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    I finally decided to plant it, it has been in the ground over a year and half now. I put a mini green house over it last winter and it has come on really well. The wind has helped with the trunk starting to fatten up now :-)

    Rgds Andy.
     
  20. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    I'm glad to hear it!
     
  21. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    How would i get a photo up on here?

    Rgds Andy.
     
  22. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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  23. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    Thanks for that, will try to get some photos for you in the next few days or so. Working away from home at the moment, so try to get something up when i get back to my PC.

    Regards Andy.
     
  24. RogerB

    RogerB Member

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    Hello, I am back after my first and only posts nearly EIGHT YEARS ago !!!
    The jacaranda took another couple of years to bloom for the first time.
    I was advised by a man who'd worked at Kew Gardens, to tie it down for a few weeks, while the trunk was still flexible enough, so that the top was as near to horizontal as possible .... seemed very dramatic, but I tried it, and the following year it bloomed for the first time !!

    I am afraid that the advice not to prune it has had to be ignored, as it would otherwise have grown just too large for its location, and the only alternative would have been to cut it down completely.
    So I waited until the dormant season virtually pollarded it, This kept it within bounds but meant I had no flowers the following year, which rather defeats its purpose as a beautiful flowering tree.
    It puts up lots of very long vertical shoots which flower on the tips, quite pretty but not a very handsome shape. So this year I propose to drastically reduce the verticals, but keep some of the lower, leafy shoots which I HOPE will develop more 'outwards' and flower next year.
    I must also try to water it more often this Summer .... our Summers have been getting steadily hotter, here.
    If I remember, I'll try to give a progress report a bit sooner than 8 years hence .... I might be fertilising the trees myself by then :)
    Thanks for your help

    Roger
    Costa Blanca , Spain
     
  25. AJQ

    AJQ Member

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    Unfortunately mine died a few years ago, bad summers, overcast for 4 years and no or very little sunshine....
     

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