Best time for a haircut

[cuwire]

I am looking for advice on the better times of the year to give a Mel a haircut -- and of course any no no times.

Thanks

Cheers David

[kcpoole]

See the Wiki
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... hould_I%3F
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... =Melaleuca

All thru Spring and Summer

Ken

[cuwire]

Thanks Ken -- direct hit.

Will get stuck in after the festivities when the hands are steady again.

Cheers David

[kcpoole]

LOL
Post some before and after pics for us all

Ken

[cuwire]

Well this is my Linariifolia snowstorm in some trouble -- from a distance and in recent Sydney rain I could see an abundance of new light colored growth -- (did not get a picture did not even get a close look) but from a distance it really looked healthy.

Now while contemplating a future haircut I find this - browned off new growth -- only thing changing is 4 or so hours of burning sun after all that rain (and a 3cm grub)

So not being able to handle anything dead I gave it a trim.

Snowstorm_001.jpg

Snowstorm_002.jpg

Any advice on this tree - in truth I think it is more a bush - do these things die a bit and recover as a matter of course.
Any way its seasol and shade for a while.

It is only 30cm high and meant to be a mini tangled feature in a round pot.

Cheers David

[cuwire]

Claret Tops Haircut

Jan20 2012 Claret Top 001 S.jpg

Here is the Claret Tops quit bushy and boofheaded before some hairdressing

Jan20 2012 Claret Top 007 S.jpg

And after some work and searching for some definition.

If you think I could have been more severe please say so .. and if I should put it in the ground how far back should cut.

Thanks
David

[Roger]

hi David
Nice claret tops you've produced.

If you do put in the ground, I'd put in as is with the crown and let the roots get established. Then next mid spring, or when it just shows signs of bud swell, give it a heavier cut back. If you are looking to fatten the trunk, then you need to let the top grow out at least some way, say at least double the branch length now or more. The trunk will fatten and you can then cut back severely to bring the canopy back to size again. If you keep the canopy too small while in the ground, you defeat the purpose of putting the tree there - the plant needs both a strong and large root system plus a strong canopy to make lots of food so that it translates some of that into trunk wood as opposed to just leaves and twigs.

Roger

[cuwire]

Thanks Roger for your help and advice - I appreciate better the idea of more growth in the ground means a bigger tree (trunk).

Thanks again
David