[Spoony] - Hibiscus

[Spoony]

Species: Hibiscus
Height: 480mm from soil
Origin: Backyard
Price: $0

Hello this is my second, and last (minute) entry into this competition, just dug it out of the garden.
It was looking a bit worse for wear, was covered in a vine, and had been munched on a bit.
Does it mean I can't put it in if I don't know what it is?

Here are a few photos anyway.

[kcpoole]

it is a Hibiscus
I have a few myself of different colours

Ken

[Spoony]

Fantastic! Thank you Ken!
So they make OK Bonsai then?
It has a nice trunk taper I think. I see many comments about taper.
You can't see much of the trunk though as I had to bury it a fair bit as it had an almost non existent rootball.

Cheers

Paul

[Spoony]

OK so I had a bit of a chop when I finished work last night/this morning. Only really made 1 chop as was to tired to think being about 2am.

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After a few hours sleep came back to it made a few more chops and cuts.

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So my first ever attempt at cutting back a tree. I really just hope it survives.
It's had a hectic 24 hours being uprooted then hacked back.
If it pulls through I hope my "vision" of it at least half works

[kcpoole]

Hey Spooney nice chops
I would cut back the remaining long stem unless you are keeping it as a sacrifice branch.
They can be cut back as hard as you like and will shoot back from bare wood whenever you like.

One tip i will give is that when planning on showing the tree, defoliate a few weeks before so that you only have lots of small leaves and shoots for the display. This make the leaves much more in scale with the tree
The only hard bit with that is getting the timing right so it has recovered just enough. If you leave it too late, you will have no new growth to show off

Ken

[Spoony]

Hi Ken,

Yeah I plan to cut it back a bit more just want it to settle in a bit first. Doesn't have many roots on it at all so figure leaving it a few leaves would help with it's health for now.
I'll try to draw up what I want it to look like when I get back in a couple hours. Thanks for your advice and encouragement, very much appreciated.

Cheers

Paul

[Spoony]

How I think it could look. Probably way to ambitious.

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Not the greatest drawing but you should be able to get the idea

[Spoony]

More horrible first time wiring....

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Think I may have killed a small branch by bending it to far..
Time will tell!

[Stewart_Toowoomba]

Hi Spoony

At my last club meeting one of the experienced members (hey dutchie..) said that he used superglue on branches that he bent that bit too far and cracked. Place a drop or two on the dead wood onlyand use the wire to hold it back in place. He said he's had 100% success on his accidents.

Regarding your wiring, a smaller gauge would be preferable (if you have it) as it seems a bit of overkill (sorry for the pun.. ) If the branch wont hold for one piece of wire, use a second but make sure you wire the second right along side the first, rather than as you have on the right hand side branch. Often two smaller guage wires are more effective than one larger. It is even OK to use three pieces to do the job. Check up on some bonsai books on how to anchor the wire above or below the branch. Try to keep the wire at about 45 degree angle along the branch.

If it was me, i dont think it needs the bottom branch for thickening up the trunk. I'd chop it and let the top develop - id say it needs a good haircut as well. They will shoot again fine and you'll get instant taper to give improved effect. Just my

As for cracking the odd branch..... we've all been there and done that... just a little more should be ok....... OHH SH!%&*T

[Spoony]

Hi Stewart,

Thank you for your reply. It was odd I was testing the flexibility of the branches before I wired it, and there didn't seem to be much play in them at all.
As soon as I put the wire on though, I had no problem forcing the branches where I wanted them to go. Not because it was any easier mind you. I think it was just more mentally reassuring because it had something else wrapped around it.

So I'm guessing My lower branch idea is a loser... Okie Dokie I'll give it the chop. Oh and as far as giving it a haircut the main branch only has about 6 leaves on it. and the topmost one (the one I broke) I figure will die. So should I just get rid of all foliage?

Cheers
Paul

[Stewart_Toowoomba]

The lowest branch is just a bit too high to keep in my opinion, otherwise it will thicken up too high in the trunk when you want to start getting taper. Also depends on how tall you want the tree to be as well. If you want to go higher, then keep it...

As for the full chop, i think you'll end up with plenty of new growth to manipulate where you want them to go.

Other may disagree and i'd be happy to hear otherwise.

Stew

[kcpoole]

Chop it hard as you like now
It will shoot back to give plenty of choices

Ken

[Spoony]

OK, shall cut it right back when I get home tonight from work.
Was a good chance to practice wiring anyway.
Found little spotty grasshoppers chewing all the nice new leaves off it this afternoon too.
Will have to look into doing something about that also...

Cheers guys!
Paul

[Spoony]

Unfortunately I'm going to have to pull this out of the competition as it seems one of the neighbourhood cats took a liking to it, dug it out of it's pot, and chewed it up a fair bit. I'm hoping it'll pull through as it seems a hardy plant, but it's now looking very very ugly. Bit of a pity as it had plenty of new shoots after I cut it back. If it pulls through and heals up alright I'll keep trying to make it a bonsai. Just won't be plausible for this comp.

Cheers
Paul

[mickaus]

that sucks mate, bad luck.

If one of my cats did that to a plant of mine they would feel the wrath of the spray bottle