Melaleuca Linariifolia Purpurea Compacta

[Jarad]

I bought 4 of these guys to do some experimenting with as I wanted a shohin style group planting of paperbarks. One had a big chop and root prune, one had just a chop, another just had a root pruneand the last was relatively left alone.

I have read that dwarf varieties are the best for Bonsai, but I thought why not give it a go. The victims:

Mel-LPC01-04 - 170115.jpeg

Victim No. 1: Cut back and root pruned.

Mel-LPC01 - 170115 - Cut.jpeg

Mel-LPC01 - 170115 - Roots.jpeg

Victim No. : Cut back.

Mel-LPC02 - 170115 - Cut.jpeg

Victim No. 3: Root pruned.

Mel-LPC03 - 170115 - Roots.jpeg

Victim No. 4: Light trim.

Mel-LPC04 - 170115 - Control.jpeg

I will revisit these guys in a few weeks to see if they have survived.

[zimzallabim]

I like this idea

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[Rory]

I will revisit these guys in a few weeks to see if they have survived.

months.

I have also experimented with their stock of this same material Jarad, from Ourimbah Big Flower nursery, and you may find they take more than a month before they shoot back. Initially I thought they'd died, as all the foliage died off. Then mine eventually shot after 2 months of lying dormant following the root prune and trunk chop. You need to be careful though with the after care, and keep up the watering in this heat at the moment. I did mine in early spring, not in a heat wave.

[Bougy Fan]

I agree about the aftercare. I have never had a bare rooted mel survive for me that hasn't been kept in a tray of water. Since I started keeping them in trays I have not lost any. I also apply seamungus and then daily seasol for at least the first week after bare rooting. Good luck

[Jarad]

Cheers Zim.

Thanks for the tips Rory and Tony. I'll grab some water trays and apply seasol this afternoon.

[zimzallabim]

Noob question

Why not plant them straight into a group?

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[Jarad]

That is one way to do it, but I want the trees to look good individually before I put them together. It's easier to style a tree when it's by itself.

Also, I'm sure some will die so I would end up having to replace them anyway.

[Lane]

Nice one, if one doesn't die you may need to purchase another one to keep the group in odd numbers.

[Jarad]

Thanks Lane.

I was originally only thinking about planting 3 in the group... But I like your idea of buying more trees.

[Jarad]

One week on and there are buds appearing on all of the tips except for the control tree. Where they live gets sun from about 11am till sunset. They have been watered every day. I haven't got around to giving them seasol just yet and I still haven't purchased the water trays.

Mel-LPC01-04 - 170121 - Buds.jpg

I'm stoked that they have reshot, but I will be waiting patiently to see if they will continue to shoot. If they are still healthy in a few weeks time I will grab a couple more and give those harsher treatment

[Jarad]

Approximately three weeks later and all of those new buds have popped and lengthened. There are also numerous new buds popping and lengthening below the cuts I made on the trunks. I have a feeling that the shade cloth these trees were kept under at the nursey provides enough light to keep them alive, but not enough to keep them vigorous. They are behaving similar to another Mel. Linariifolia that I have posted on here previously. The control tree (LPC04) has also reshot below a cut that was made before I purchased the trees.

These guys have been getting plenty of sun and water and are definitely healthy. I assumed I was going to lose at least one of these guys, but seeing as I haven’t, I will have to get a few more and be A LOT more aggressive when cutting them back.

Here are some photos of those new shoots:

Mel-LPC01 - 170214 - New Shoots.jpg

Mel-LPC02 - 170214 - Sucker.jpg

Mel-LPC04 - 170214 - Control.jpg

It would appear that when you trim the top, you should also trim the roots, as the tree that was cut back and had a root prune (LPC01) appears to be more vigorous than the tree that was only cut back (LPC02). LPC02 also has a sucker sprouting out of the soil and I'm not sure why. I will be leaving them alone for the time being to make sure they survive.

[Jarad]

Time for an update. They have all survived my abuse and I have found that the most abused tree (chopped and root pruned) has come back the strongest (the one in the orchid pot MLPC01). I'm not sure if I got the other ones names right as I never thought to write names on their pots

They have been neglected, apart from the occasional fertiliser. Not sure if I will be going ahead with the shohin group planting anymore, but could maybe make an interesting group with my other Mel Lin found here: https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/view ... 87&t=19721

MLPC01 - 200202.jpg

MLPC02 - 200202.jpg

MLPC03 - 200202.jpg

MLPC04 - 200202.jpg