All round help with this Lilly Pilly

LillY Pilly
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jehsiboi
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All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by jehsiboi »

Hey guys this is my first post here so hopefully all goes well.

So I was at my local[Brisbane] Bunnings today getting fertilizer and picked up this Lilly Pilly on sale for $50. It's obviously been forgotten about by the Bunnings staff and is in a bit of a state. I've not touched it, I bought it pruned back to its secondary branches. I thought it looked interesting and bought it, now looking at it once I got the thing home I'm second guessing my choice. I have no experience with this species. So any tips on how to bring this poor tree back to health would be muchly appreciated. It seems to have new growth here and there but seems diseased. Also any tips on how to actually style it once its back in shape would be great as I cant really see anything in it yet.
lillypilly1-2019.jpg
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Boics
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by Boics »

I'd take it out of the pot, choose a line with taper, nebari and interest and cut everything else off.
Repot and :fc: it will sprout profusely...
No point wasting time.
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by jehsiboi »

Boics wrote: November 4th, 2019, 10:25 pm I'd take it out of the pot, choose a line with taper, nebari and interest and cut everything else off.
Repot and :fc: it will sprout profusely...
No point wasting time.
Cheers I think I just needed a little push in that direction.
I've been playing around on MSpaint and I think this is the route I'm going to go
lillypilly1-2019paint.jpg
Would you use cut paste on a Lilly pilly?
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jehsiboi
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by jehsiboi »

So this is what Im left with I hope Ive not killed it. Should I seal that cut with something? Also would you fertilse now or later?

Jesse
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by terryb »

I normally seal the cuts on my lilly pilly with the grey putty type sealer. I would let the roots recover a bit before you fertilise and only water when your mix dries a bit - there are no leaves to use the water as yet.
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by Raging Bull »

Good going. Once it recovers from the shock it should shoot out all over. They're hardy buggers.
Cheers, Frank.
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by Boics »

Good luck!
Make sure it doesn't dry out or isn't exposed to high winds.
I'd seal what I could.
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by jehsiboi »

Here is a update on this guy.
20200407_152449.jpg
Jesse
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by Per PF »

Looks nice, I like the nebari. :tu2:
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by gordonb »

Per PF wrote: April 9th, 2020, 6:39 am Looks nice, I like the nebari. :tu2:
Me too, - you lucked out there!
Gordon - Thames, New Zealand

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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by jehsiboi »

Just an update on this guy. I did a little bit of carving, my first attempt at carving actually.
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by Boics »

I suspect you might be best off selecting and working with one branch rather than the two you currently have.
Keep us posted :)
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by jehsiboi »

Boics wrote: July 22nd, 2020, 6:19 pm I suspect you might be best off selecting and working with one branch rather than the two you currently have.
Keep us posted :)
Yeah? maybe getting rid of the side branch and then giving it a hard prune before spring and hope for budding lower on the trunk?
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Re: All round help with this Lilly Pilly

Post by kcpoole »

Nice recovery.

Next time you repot i would tilt it away fromthe sude with the branching sonit coes from.the pot at an angle rather than vertical.
Gives that first trunk section movement straight away

Ken
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