AusBonsai

My last entry in the comp - another Mel. These are a pretty common choice for bonsai, but this is my first one so I thought this comp was as good an excuse as any to get on the Linariifolia bandwagon! It's leaf looks similar in shape to the Ericifolia but quite a bit larger, I'm thinking this will reduce when I get to that stage of development ... but for now, it's time to grow a bit.

Wiki says :
Melaleuca linariifolia is a small tree growing to a height of 6–10 m (20–30 ft) with distinctive and attractive white or creamy white, papery bark and a dense canopy. Its leaves are arranged in alternating pairs (decussate), glabrous except when very young, 17–45 mm (0.7–2 in) long, 1–4 mm (0.04–0.2 in) wide, linear to lance-shaped and with a distinct mid-vein.

And the pics : Good luck to all who are entering - if you haven't get involved!

There has been some good growth over the last month or so and I have been meaning to get around to a repot much sooner than this - but here we are in March ... and I finally got it's roots out. I probably reduced the roots around 50% ... nothing too dramatic as they were nice and fine already so really just keeping them healthy in close to the trunk. I also pruned back the foliage a bit - nothing below green - I'll be hoping for a bit of back budding to give some extra options when it comes time to figure out how to style this. Tape measure is about 500mm in height from top of the pot to the top of the tape as a reference.

Update : tree has grown on - albeit a bit slow for my liking since the trim/root work. Still, it is sitting firm in the pot now so I hope it takes off next Spring and gets nice and strong for the inevitable chop low it will need to advance it.

Update!

On a really really hot forecaster day I make sure M. linarifolia is well watered in the early morning. I recently lost one to drying out and was surprised when it didn’t come back. Fortunately it was a trial specimen and not a great piece, but it taught me not to push the envelope with them. If you catch them in time they stop wilting very quickly after being watered. Don’t be afraid to let them go insane, as they usually shoot back right up and down the trunk after a trunk chop. They thicken SO quickly in the growing seasons. If it bothers you, they also are prone to bulging if you allow multiple shoots to develop. As long as they get plenty of sun, they don’t seem bothered by over-watering either.

Progress on this tree after doing some work on it this week. Like the other Mel entry I have, this has been left to grow for a couple of months and had got to the stage where it was too big for the shelf it lived on ... so ... Of all my natives, this species seems to really be thirsty. I don't think there would ever be a situation I can imagine where it would get overwatered. At the moment the lowest branch is really a sacrifice for trunk girth, but I am considering putting some movement into it and keeping it depending on how that plays out. I'm thinking a taller/flowing tree will be the direction I'll be heading with this tree. It's a rapid grower which keeps me interested.

While I had the camera out this morning I took a few shots of these comp trees ... not much in the way of progression apart from some winter growth, but with spring pretty much here there'll be some work to be done soon.

This tree had a bit of work in the last couple of days.
I have repotted as it was solid in the little plastic pot, and I have cut back pretty hard to get some growth in close and start building the foliage where I want it. It grew nicely over winter, hopefully that continues after this work ... I think it will be fine.

Nice pairing. Me likely that pot.

There has been some serious progression on that tree, and putting it into a bonsai pot makes a big difference. Looking good.

Excellent R3. Your posts - attention to detail, photos, explanations, fun etc... are consistently excellent and I learn a lot. Thank you. Another cool tree in the making.


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April update...
This tree just grew out pretty much unchecked since the repot last year, up until about 2 weeks ago or so. I then cut it back and have decided that keeping the basal sacrifice as part of the design feels like the best course of action. It feels pretty "natural" and I think it is adding to the aesthetic so with that in mind I re-jigged my chosen front slightly, turning the pot clock-wise a few degrees and have set the remaining branching to suit.
It is budding nicely so hopefully I can build in some nice foliage in the run home to October.

Looking good R3. Letting it grow has obviously built up the energy = good bud push. Looks like you are going to be rubbing a few off as well.

Update for this tree at the end of October. I am letting this grow out now and will hopefully be able to cut back a couple of times before April and build on the ramification that is developing.
I hope (as many have suggested in the main comp thread) that a few people decide to update where their trees are at despite it not being compulsory. It's been a while since the last one and it is a long time until April ... it's nice to see how things are progressing, and it is a good way to learn a few things from what others are up to. So, if you're wondering about whether or not to post a shot, I would appreciate it!

The difference between the first shot and this one is very striking, leaf size, girth and shape. Beaut little tree, Ryceman!