Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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
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
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- Boics
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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.
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.
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: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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) 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.
I've gone for something like broom style with mine (probably a different species but yours will grow similar) 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.
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
Thanks everyone for your feedback. Hugely appreciated. Gerard & shibui a couple of nice trees!
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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?
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?
Last edited by Starfox on February 13th, 2019, 8:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
*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
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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.
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Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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?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?
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.
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
The photo beside the car was taken on Sept 1st 2015MJL wrote:*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
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Second photo was a week later
Third was Oct 2017
Final Jan 2019
Three and a half years total
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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.shibui wrote: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.
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.
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
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.
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Re: Melaleuca ericifolia. Advice.
Shibui and in particular Gerard!
Great examples and benefit to this thread.
Well done guys.
Great examples and benefit to this thread.
Well done guys.
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful