Another Lilly Pilly

matlea · Post by **matlea** » July 3rd, 2012, 7:40 pm

Hi got this guy yesterday for $20.. Bargain! Now have a few of this species! Thinking of keeping most of the branches but shortening them once the tree shows signs of health. Given a small amount of fertiliser and a good soak. should show signs of growth in a couple of weeks... Fingers crossed!
Any design comments welcome!

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1341308417.189802.jpg

Craig · Post by **Craig** » July 3rd, 2012, 9:26 pm

nice bit of stock matlea especially for 20 bucks . If you decide to keep most of the branches it would be a good idea to wire and reposition some of them so they are a little more pleasing to look at. Maybe look at removing the thicker inward growing branches aswell. Good find

matlea · Post by **matlea** » July 4th, 2012, 8:01 pm

Thanks.. I'm planning on chopping the branches back pretty hard... A few I will remove as they are a bit too crowded. Come spring with a bit of feeding I should be able to get some better branch positions/ movement off the existing.... Can't wait for spring!!

Rintar · Post by **Rintar** » July 4th, 2012, 8:07 pm

Nice for the price looking at air layering a large lilly pilly in the back yard interested in seeing what you do I have some similar looking options

Jas

matlea · Post by **matlea** » August 18th, 2012, 4:47 pm

Well I got around to doing a chop and repot on this one today. Originally I was going to keep most branches but I think Ill reduce these over time and regrow some to make it more compact and give more movement... plus the fact that these were too thick to simply wire and bend... just hope for lots of new buds!
Comments / suggestions / verts / always welcome.

Pat093 · Post by **Pat093** » August 18th, 2012, 6:02 pm

Very cool movement in the trunk there mate.
How were the roots?

Andrew F · Post by **Andrew F** » August 18th, 2012, 6:06 pm

Pat093 wrote:Very cool movement in the trunk there mate.

X2

Branched out, 'scuse the pun and bought my self a lilly pilly, so i look forward to seeing how long it takes yours to push new growth thru before i hack it, be sure to keep us updated.

Post by **kcpoole** » August 18th, 2012, 6:17 pm

Lovely trunk movement already. There was obviously more under the ground than you thought

How tall is it now? I think it will make a nice tree very quickly if you plan keeping it this height. Just need to build finer branching and a canopy

Ken

matlea · Post by **matlea** » August 18th, 2012, 8:46 pm

Thanks guys... I gave the roots a pretty good chop as they were pretty twisted... Hopefully with some seasole and some care it will be ok. Have given another of my Lilly pillies a more severe root chop a while back an it seems to be going ok. (will post in the next few weeks)

The peg is 75mm so it's about 300mm .... So not shohin... Plus once it recovers it could be lifted slightly to show the roots that are covered at the moment. Thanks for the vert too. Will take it in a direction close to that... Just need to see where on the branches it grows from... And then trim back to suit.

Will update when it buds out... Fingers crossed!

matlea · Post by **matlea** » April 25th, 2013, 5:21 pm

Well this one survived the drastic root chops and is going well.

Did a bit of initial styling / wired up to get some shape into the branches. Changed the initial front as the roots and trunk looked better from this side (slightly less movement but will have better taper) I have left a few branch stubs on at the moment and the idea will be to carve / hollow out these as the design progresses.
cant wait until spring to work on this one again

matlea · Post by **matlea** » February 22nd, 2020, 10:20 am

Update for this one.
I ended up chopping a lot of the branches off this tree as in the long run they werer going to cause reverse taper due to their relation to each other. I also tried an approach graft, which took, for the new branch on the lower right.
I have been mainly using clip and grow and using wires to pull branches down. I have had trouble with fully wired branches weakening.... maybe just me!

Anyhow now working to get more density on the right side and to grow the top. Just letting it grow out for now to thicken the trunk.

juan73870 · Post by **juan73870** » March 13th, 2020, 6:19 pm

looks awesome mate!
very encouraging to see what happens over the last 7 years

just one question, when you say you used an approach graft for that branch on the right, how did you go about that? was it basically another branch from this plant that you have just taken off and grafted onto the trunk? is that what you did there?

cheers
Juan

matlea · Post by **matlea** » March 13th, 2020, 7:50 pm

Thanks juan

I let one of the shoots grow long, a bit like the couple at the top and bent down to where I wanted the new branch.
Took a notch / recess out of the trunk and a bit of the bark off the new branch so that the new branch sat flush in the trunk then wrapped with grafting tape to secure in place.
Let grow for a season or two and then when it looked like it had fused together I separated it. ( and crossed my fingers)
If I had my time again I probably would have made a deeper groove to take the branch as where it fused there is a bit too much swelling.

matlea · Post by **matlea** » April 13th, 2020, 11:19 am

Just a shot from the back.
I’ll probably chop the top come next spring and also start to develop this area.

IMG_0562.JPG

juan73870 · Post by **juan73870** » April 13th, 2020, 11:39 am

Really nice little bonsai, mate

AusBonsai