Hi MetroDave!
I have over 50 champaca trees ( White Mechelia) surrounding my property, which I love for their fragrant flowers. Perhaps because of el nino or the strong winds coming from the nearby lake, many have lost their leaves, as you can see in the picture. Would cutting about a foot-long from the top (crown) help in inducing more leaves?
Yes you can trim the trees, and encourage the growth of lateral buds.
As Michelia (now Magnolia) require a lot of water, they are susceptible to damage from drying winds.
You can propagate the cuttings from trimming the trees.
Aloha, Dave
This is off topic.....but I love your hut, Bal! That is awesome!
Jeanne
Thanks, Jeanne! Constructing that tree house as part of the plant arbor was a whimsical decision to prevent two different clinging vines from opposite ends to get into each other's turf. It now serves as a play house for the boys and a napping place for the gardener. Here's a close-up pic.
BTW, for your interest, "balai" is a local dialect for "house" and "Talisai" is a place in Batangas, Phils., where this property is located.. Balaitalisai means " house in talisai".
So, if you call me "bal", that's short for house :), not that I mind though..
But you can also call me...Odette :)
Hi Odette,
you live in HEAVEN as far as I am concerned. Sorry I can't help with your question since I have zero experience having Michelia as trees here in Arizona.
Hi Odette! I love your tree house / hut! My hut is in desperate need of reroofing.
I need to hire your roofer or learn your technique.
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne!
If your place is just a stone's throw away, I would gladly send my cogon-roofmaker to do the job for you in no time.
Perhaps if you show this picture of the interior of the roofing to your roofmaker, he would have an idea on how to do the same for your hut.
Cheers!
Odette
Nice roofing style!
Odette, that's beautiful! What a work of art!
My son is my roofer. He uses the whole palm frond. I'll have to google your technique! That is amazing!
Thanks for showing it to me!
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne ( texasgal77)!
I am constructing a rather large open lanai with cogon roofing and I thought of sending you this photo to give you an idea of how the cogon roofmaker goes about putting the cogon grass on the roofing structure.
Odette (Balaitalisai)
The rule of tree trimming is: ...you can cut any tree down by one third only, per year. (1/3 removal allows the tree to still sustain its growth and viability). You'll find it will 'sprout' very quickly, given enough water. Having said that, I cut my white Champaca down level to the ground a short time ago, hoping to get rid of it as it had grown quite tall and did not have sufficiently fragrant flowers...........Not keeping an eye on that area, I was extremely surprised to see its regrowth of about 3 feet straight from the ground level stump! I immediately pinched it down one third, hoping it will become 'bushy' as a result and not end up so tall!! Hope the white flowers are more fragrant as well. Maybe the yellow Champaka is more fragrant?
Beautiful tiki hut Bel. Is that a bougainvillia in the front? Gorgeous!
Hi Bedouin!
Thanks for the tree trimming advice. I did cut my champaca trees about 1 foot from the top after a go advice from Dave about 4 months ago and they have grown profusely well. In fact they have become prolific flower producers. If you can zoom the attached picture, you will see the many flowers on the trees.
Odette
P.S to Bedouin:
What you see in the picture is a cogon-roofed open lanai. Sorry but I don't know what a tiki hut is.
It faces a half moon patio where those red plants are situated, as shown in the picture.
I also don't know the name of these red plants but they produce small white flowers in summer.
Another P.S to Bedouin:
I have many bouganvillias surrounding my perimeter fence. Here is a sample.
bal, the bougainvillias are gorgeous. The flowers appear to be abundant on each stem tip. Perhaps these are the strain which dont lose their flowers by 'dropping off'? Rather, the flowers dry on the stem? Ive heard of them so wonder if these are examples???
Yes, Bedouin, these bouganvillias don't lose their flowers by dropping off. :)
Gorgeous! Thanks for the lovely photos.
Thanks so much for the picture. That helps! It is beautiful! Do they treat the fronds with anything to make them look so soft? They are gorgeous.
Our hut is in desperate need of a new roof. The jasmine has about taken over the top. Some of the jasmine are actually in bloom. It smells really good, but there were at least three wasps out there the other day.....and I'm allergic to wasps and bee stings.......
Maybe we can get it redone eventually.
Thanks!
Jeanne
