AusBonsai

Just a few paperbarks I picked up recently. Lopped the tops off, new pot, fresh soil and fertilizer. Not a lot to look at now, but give it a decade.

We have some small shoots appearing on 2 of the 3 trees!

If my experience is any indication you'll have good trees in far less than a decade. Most eastern mels respond really quick and even thicken substantially in pots.

Maybe lopped just a little high? Quite usual for a first time lopping. With luck you'll get some lower shoots as well and can cut again after they have recovered.

shibui wrote: ↑February 6th, 2020, 5:48 pm Maybe lopped just a little high? Quite usual for a first time lopping. With luck you'll get some lower shoots as well and can cut again after they have recovered.

I agree, I chopped way too high. They were extremely unhealthy when I purchased them, they were in 8 inch pots and I had to cut the pots apart in order to remove them. I was just being overly cautious and plan to give them a much more aggressive chop once they regain vigour.

All of these guys had less foliage combined than one of my M. Lin dwarfs, so I wasn't sure if they'd survive even with such a long trunk left over.

Would you recommend making the more aggressive approach and chopp lower next?

You can't undo what has already been done.
I always like to give trees a chance to recover and restore energy before inflicting another catastrophe. Let those new shoots emerge and grow for the rest of this year. Chop again next spring, just when The tree is thinking it has got away with it.
Maybe they would cope with another cut without a chance to recover but maybe they have just run out of energy reserves and would decide to pack it in after another insult.