I have had it for probably 25 years. He has lived in my greenhouse every Winter and spends the Summer outside. Now he is smashing the peek of the greenhouse. We live at the very edge of this zone, some has told us it's iffy. I have a much larger pot and could lay him down and mulch him somewhere but would hate to. My question is do you think I should plant him in my wonderful yard and mulch him up for the Winter? Should I cram him into the greenhouse? Should I lay him sideways, somewhere, and mulch his whole body for the Winter? I really don't know what would be best for him. I would hate to cut his top out just to keep him in the greenhouse but that is a choice also. Bunya Bunya Bunya Bunya Bunya Bunya
I think they can get 130 feet. My greenhouse is only 15 feet at the peek. Jerry, You sound so silly but I could do that but probably only for one year. Maybe, it's lookin like I may have to cut the top off. You know that they always look horrible when someone cuts off the top of a pine tree. It's from Auzzieland, I think. Maybe some of those Stewbies can advise me.
Yes it is. They are long distant cousins. I have one of those also but they are softer and can be bent. The Bunya Bunya really has raiser sharp needles.
Jerry's idea of digging a hole in the ground may not be too practical if you have a cemented floor, but it's logical, (even if it'll work for just a year)... The other option that will not harm the tree is to extend the greenhouse's roof in one place. We are all plant and tree lovers over here, so naturally, no one would like to see a tree with it's top cut off... So it's either Jerry's idea, or extend the roof of the greenhouse... I have an Imli tree (Tamarind tree). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind It too was suffering, as it's roots had tangled around the main underground sewer pipe of the house. Everybody told me to cut the tree down, otherwise the sewer pipe problem will eventually make the property unlivable. But instead of cutting the tree - I spent a little extra money, and simply had the pipe rerouted around the tree! Everybody in my locality then thought of me as an idiot, they still do behind my back, (for spending extra to save just a tree)... But for someone who loves plants and trees - What other option is there??? Seriously, what other choice do we have?
LOL S-H. I have a whole box of Tamarind beans. I just opened a few yesterday, digging through that gooey stuff to plant them. I am hoping someone will post and tell me that mine tree will withstand very cold temperatures. I sure hope to do something t harm it.
I think there are only 2 practical options here. Option 1: Cut this tree's top for now, but plant another tree of the same type, so you can enjoy that for a few years to come (until that too becomes too tall). Option 2: Plant the tree somewhere in your yard. but when winter time comes - Make a temporary Geodesic Dome out of PVC pipe around the tree, and cover it in clear plastic sheet - Thus making a temporary custom greenhouse, which can easily be taken down too when sprint time comes. A really cheap and practical option I think - Most definitely fun for the family too, as well as bringing fame to your household in your locality (maybe even some news coverage also)! By the way, Geodesic Domes are unbelievably strong by design. They can easily withstand powerful Earthquakes, and also maintain their shape through hurricane force winds even! Aside from being extremely easy and cheap to construct and take down also. See this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZeoAOOwrD8 Here is another video that I found - Where they are really making a greenhouse from a Geodesic Dome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaUCqb1WYTg I think that if your greenhouse has a flat roof, then a section of it can be removed and a small Geodesic Dome can be constructed on top, thus giving you a over 6 feet of extra height inside. Or, the most practical thing is option 1...
There was a garden center about 1 hour from here that had a Bunya Bunya tree buried in the ground. It went out of business many years ago. The tree was there for a long time. We have been by it recently and the tree is gone. I wonder what happened to it. Then there was another garden center in J. That guy had one in a large pot. He said he mulched up all around the base and it loved for years like that. We just never trusted what he said. Maybe he took it into the greenhouse for the winter. We never went back there to see if it lived.
Well in any case, since we are not 100% certain of the results - I think it would be best if you planted a few new saplings, just in case. Because what we can be sure about, is that up till now you have done everything correct - As the tree looks very healthy. So if something goes wrong from this point onwards, you can always start over. Until you come to this point again, but it will still give you a few years to enjoy the tree once more till that one also reaches this size. Or, why not try to make a Bonsai??? So I guess that's the 3rd option. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-3Y-rLqIUg
I bring this topic back up to tell you all about my Bunya Bunya Tree. We made a very big mistake. This plant will only go down to 25 degrees F. It won't live outside here all Winter. Now we have to dig that poor thing up and get it back into the greenhouse for the Winter. Tonight it will get to 22 degrees. I don't know what I was thinking when I planted that tree out there. The Bunya Bunya Tree is from Australia not from Chile. I'll let you know how we make out this afternoon.
Barb, I think I would donate that tree to someone who lives down south.... It is a lot of work to keep a tree out of it's living zone especially when they large large specimen trees. Just my opinion, but you need to do what you are comfortable doing or let it go outside and see what happens to it.
I kinda agree with Carolyn. Give it to someone who CAN grow it. None of these solutions are practical - cutting the top off will create an ugly looking specimen, making your greenhouse taller (come on! ) and well you could either take the risk and plant it outside (but if it dies, I am sure you would feel sad) or migrate it South :
