[NATURAL] Eucalyptus leptophleba - Starfox

[Starfox]

Update time.

So after my last update I added some wire to get that main branch heading upward. I'm still not overly happy with it's position and I'm still dirty on that aborted branch as I like the lines that gave. Still it needs more wire for placement so hopefully I can find something I'm more pleased with along the way.
In September I did a full defoliation hoping it would give me more shoots to play with but it only threw a couple out . The new growth has come out much smaller and compact than ever and while it is still actively growing I have been pinching the tips back to two pair. Heading into winter sort of now but it'll probably keep growing until December.

Going forward it'll get some more wire and try and find some positioning I'm happier with and hopefully I can get a bit of density into the foliage. Other than that I'll probably leave it alone until spring/summer where I'll contemplate a repot and anything else that may need doing.

IMG_9597fs.jpg

[Starfox]

Welp, warts and all I guess.

Yesterday found the top half of the tree snapped off. We are have 80km+ winds at the moment so I expect a strong gust was the culprit.
Was kind of planning on keeping that, oh well come warmer weather I will have to rethink things. Dang.

sds.jpg

[Starfox]

Winter was a touch rough on this one, losing that second branch really threw a spanner in the works and set things right back. I couldn't really come to terms with what was left of it.
In the end it may turn out to be a good thing because come spring it has budded out down low almost exactly where I can put it to good use. So while it's pushing new growth I have cut it back, I think this is going to give it more movement and in a way I can utilise that.

It has set everything back but I think for the better and given the rough winter and it has been worked fairly hard previously I think this year I'll only wire it and pinch to try and reign in the elongation a bit. No repot or any more big cut backs.
Pinching the sister tree early back to two or three seems to be doing the trick so hopefully there is enough time for a bit more development by the last update.

Still enjoying this tree and think I have learnt a bit from it.

IMG_0352.JPGs.jpgd.jpg

[Raging Bull]

Hi Starfox, it seems to me like you've done a lot of work on that small tree in a short time. Eucs can be very tough and resilient, but IMHO you should perhaps give it a complete rest for a year. Let it grow as it wants to and just water and feed it, You'll have a much stronger tree by next summer. If it gets too long and lanky, let it. You can always cut back later. Remember, with bonsai it's a long game, otherwise it may be the quick and the dead.
Cheers, Frank.

[Rory]

That is a shame. I was loving where this was going for the end of the comp, as the 26th Oct 2020 photo was lovely. It was looking great up until that break I think naturally speaking, it would have been a very good contender.

Well, fingers crossed for you for the next 6 months.

[Starfox]

Hi Starfox, it seems to me like you've done a lot of work on that small tree in a short time. Eucs can be very tough and resilient, but IMHO you should perhaps give it a complete rest for a year. Let it grow as it wants to and just water and feed it, You'll have a much stronger tree by next summer. If it gets too long and lanky, let it. You can always cut back later. Remember, with bonsai it's a long game, otherwise it may be the quick and the dead.
Cheers, Frank.

Hi Frank, I agree. I definitely was pushing things and at the same time learning the tree. I can tell it will benefit from being left alone now especially with the less foliage.
Not a great deal else I can do anyway now.

That is a shame. I was loving where this was going for the end of the comp, as the 26th Oct 2020 photo was lovely. It was looking great up until that break I think naturally speaking, it would have been a very good contender.

Well, fingers crossed for you for the next 6 months.

Cheers Rory, it was a bit of a kick in the guts. I was confident I could of used the rest of the time to try and get it all to fill out a but more. I was being a bit coy with the pics, I had the wiring and shape all planned, I think it could of been alright.
Oh well, live and learn, it was obviously too close to the pool fence and the winds kept bashing it into it. Ironically as that is where I moved trees for wind protection. Still the new shoots give me hope and are in great places so its just a knock back for a year or two. Lets see what the next 6 months brings in terms of growth.