AusBonsai

Botanical Name: Melaleuca linariifolia
Common Name: Little Red
From: Bunnings
Cost: $10.00

I am attracted to the little red tips at the end of each branch. My first Melaleuca as well so saying hardy on the label helps.
Beautiful bark on the trunk.
Regards,
Dennis

April Update

The plan is to thicken the trunk as much as possible so the plant was placed in a bigger pot with roots spread out to form a flat surface.
I also wired one of the thicker branch about a month after re-potting. I am not sure which direction to go with this plant. I considered a phoenix graft but probably not enough time for it to melt into the host.
For the next year, I will probably just let it grow to try thicken the base some more.
I will add more wires later in the year to get some more movements. Final design will come later, I hope.

Hi Dennis,

They make great natural Bonsai, very easy to style with clip and grow too.

Just FYI, a phoenix graft is not allowed.

Thanks Rory. I had a feeling it wasn't allowed.

October Update

Not much have been done to this plant since I repotted it into a larger pot.
Left to grown freely with wires added and remove to add some bends into some straight branches.
I am still trying to thicken the main trunk. The trunk has already thicken by more than 1/2 cm. Was hoping it would thicken faster.
The bark get wire cut very easily and bends bounces back after wires removed.

Will feed and continue to let grow over this growing season.

Hi Dennis,

That bark is starting to look nice.

April 2020 Update

This one was growing quite vigorously but I was undecided on the direction given all the branches originated from one point.
I removed some branches, wired some and left some for possible future directions.
I cut it back in March and the back buds are just starting to extend.

I quite like the details on the trunk and it has thicken though not as fast as I hoped.
I have several possible directions with this plant but let's see what it does in the next 12 months.

I think cutting back in March was the wrong idea but I was frustrated not knowing the direction and the branches were getting long and bare.

Will decide later this year what I where I want to go with it.

October Update 2020

The trimming in April proved to be a bad idea. The plant did not respond well and did not do much all winter.
Won't do it again. I am hoping it will pick up over this season and will give me the dense growth I desperately needed.

Will repot into a bonsai this season and complete final design over the next few months in preparation for next year.
I think it is too weak to touch at the moment.

Hi longd_au,
I got quite a bit of winter growth on my linariifolias, and since we are both in Melbourne, I thought that might be of interest. Mine are not Claret Tops though - that might be the difference.
It is shooting pretty prolifically though so I think you should see good growth from here. I probably would think about doing a late summer repot and leave it to grow as it currently is (assuming plenty of room for roots etc...), I think you would get a better outcome doing that rather than another thing to set back foliar growth right now.
Just a thought as I read your post. Keep at it!

Hi Ryceman3

Thanks for your advise. I agree with you and will not touch it until I see some vigorous growth.

Regards,
Dennis

April update 2020

This Mel has recovered well with some warmer weather and have extended the shoots. I did some shoot selection in late spring as many came from the same point. Since then, I've just let it grow. Just listening to advise on this forum and have let it grow. I will probably put it in a bonsai pot about a week before I submit my final entry. Longer term plan is to put it back in a larger pot and let it grow nuts for a few years. I really like the bark and the colour of the foliage. Will try to develop it into an informal upright. But for now, it looks more like a another semi cascade.

Still recovering from pruning too late in 2020. I thinned out cluster of growth and have just left it alone.
Love the color of the foliage. I think it has the potential to look really nice given another few years.
Sharing the pot with a pansy...not sure where it came from.

I will probably style this one into a small tree come October.

October Update:

Like the others, I gave this one a prune about a month ago hoping it was enough time to get some ramification. The buds are just starting to extend.
I didn't repot it into a bonsai pot because I really like it and wasn't sure if it has recovered enough to survive a repot. I was going to withdraw it from the competition to give it the best chance of survival.


Like the others, this will be my last photo if the majority don't post in April 2022.

Without Fertilizer bags:

Be sure to post in April, you have months of good growth coming… don’t waste it!
Make the most of it!