Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.

[*jarrad*]

Hi All

I'm after some advice, my parents picked up this swamp paperbark from bonsai world on the Central Coast for a Christmas present for me so I never got to pick it myself, so I'm struggling to see the vision for the tree with my novice skills.

I'm wondering if anyone can share some of their expertise to point me in a direction.

Chop the new leader? Chop the whole trunk. Re-gift it?

Cheers

Jarrad

[Beano]

Looks great! Don’t lose hope, one of the native experts will be able to help. Lucky you, getting stock.

[Boics]

If your happy with trunk thickness id trunk chop to the lowest little branch.
I'm a betting man and I reckon if you did this now it will pop new bud / branch options lower than this new leader too.

[shibui]

You could do pretty much anything with a tree like this. As Boics has pointed out, these mels will bud profusely after strategic pruning so don't just look at what is there, imagine what could be. Cut without fear if necessary to achieve the results.

I've gone for something like broom style with mine (probably a different species but yours will grow similar)

P1200595.JPG

It started out similar to yours and only took a couple of years to achieve the basics.

You may like to try windswept or informal upright or something else.

[Gerard]

1 2015-08-30 14.31.39.jpg

2 2015-09-06 16.12.10.jpg

2017bsv7.jpg

melaleuca ericafolia 2.jpg

This progression may help, reduce thick branches in the upper part of the tree, encourage lower branches with some wire for shape and retain some foliage on them to be reduced later

[*jarrad*]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Hugely appreciated. Gerard & shibui a couple of nice trees!

[Starfox]

That is a good little tree, cool.
I have recently acquired one of these and had to give it an emergency repot despite of winter. I also cut back but left some foliage and now am seeing plenty of nice little red buds everywhere on that foliage but none on any woody stems below it.
I'd love to get some lower growth, would there be more chance of lower budding if I cut back again in the warmer months?

[MJL]

*jarrad* -
Nice stock and wow - what an inspiring progression from Gerard too. Gerard - how long was it between the start and finish of that photo set - ie from good stock in training pot to the final photo.

Cheers in advance.

Mark



Bonsai teaches me patience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shibui]

I have recently acquired one of these and had to give it an emergency repot despite of winter. I also cut back but left some foliage and now am seeing plenty of nice little red buds everywhere on that foliage but none on any woody stems below it.I'd love to get some lower growth, would there be more chance of lower budding if I cut back again in the warmer months?

I think there's still a chance of further budding. Leaf axillary buds tend to sprout quicker than older buds under thicker bark so just for the moment and see what happens in (your) spring. great to hear it has survived a repot in winter. What sort of winter temps and conditions over there?
Trimming in summer is also an option but the surest option will be to prune below the green leaves, provided it is a species that can produce buds from old wood. Assume you are also talking about M. ericifolia? which will almost always bud up after pruning.

[Gerard]

*jarrad* -
Nice stock and wow - what an inspiring progression from Gerard too. Gerard - how long was it between the start and finish of that photo set - ie from good stock in training pot to the final photo.

Cheers in advance.

Mark



Bonsai teaches me patience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The photo beside the car was taken on Sept 1st 2015
Second photo was a week later
Third was Oct 2017
Final Jan 2019
Three and a half years total

[Starfox]

I think there's still a chance of further budding. Leaf axillary buds tend to sprout quicker than older buds under thicker bark so just for the moment and see what happens in (your) spring. great to hear it has survived a repot in winter. What sort of winter temps and conditions over there?
Trimming in summer is also an option but the surest option will be to prune below the green leaves, provided it is a species that can produce buds from old wood. Assume you are also talking about M. ericifolia? which will almost always bud up after pruning.

That is reassuring, I will keep an eye out in hope so fingers crossed. It did seemingly sulk for a while but seems to be coming good now I wasn't less confident of it seeing winter through all pot bound in nursery soil so I took the risk. I took about 50 percent of the roots off and kept the rest largely intact but really wanted to get better soil in there.
Generally the winter averages are around 17-18deg C by day and 7-8 by night. The coldest night of the year was actually last night at 2.8 with a very slight frost which is the first I have seen in years here. In general though it is a nice mild region in winter, almost zero rain though and at times very windy.
It is an M. ericifolia, I finally found a place with plenty of different Aussie stock albeit juvenile nursery stuff so mainly it needs to grow for a few more years but hopefully with it will bud a bit more come spring in better places and I can start getting the shape I have in mind for it.

[shibui]

Your winter temps probably tally pretty well with Perth where Pup has mentioned that he can root prune mels all through the year. for more buds a bit lower as the weather warms up for you.

[Boics]

Shibui and in particular Gerard!
Great examples and benefit to this thread.
Well done guys.