Encourageing branching on privet

[Gareth]

Hi Guys,

SOme pictures of my privet are below.

As you can see, all the branching is on one side, im pretty sure there is live wood on the side with no branches, as i have scratched down and seen live cambium (i think, the bark is very aged and thick).

Just wondering if anyone has any tips for encourageing sprouting on old wood for privet. Now i appreciate, people are going to say "its a bloody privet, itll sprout in time" but what i want to know is how you encourage it and what techniques to use to encourage it too.

Is excessive feeding and watering the way to go, will this only work in spring or a active growing season?

What are people experiences?

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[Hackimoto]

Tilt the pot/box so that the sun hits the side of the trunk that you want branches on. Tilt it so much so that the trunk is horizontal or almost so and is nearly the highest point of the tree. Tilt it back when you water. You'll find that it will probably shoot new branches because of the sun stimulation and being the high point. Two methods of stimulation, usually works. keep us posted.

[Rintar]

would that also work on most plants Hack?? say benji ficus ??

[bodhidharma]

To add to hack's advice (which is excellent) once you have the privet in place prick the cambium in a few places with a sharp instrument, but not to big, and mist with seasol or some other stimulant twice a week. As hack said, keep us posted.

[Gareth]

alright so essentially, tip the plant over as far as i can so the side with no branches is faceing up and towards the sun and water a feed like mad?

Makes sense actually, ill give it a crack.

[Jow]

I would just approach graft or thread graft a new branch exactly where you wanted it. Its not difficult and almost fool proof!

[Andrew F]

Is that a prime reef salt bucket/pot???

Top marks for recycling mate

Let us know how you go.

[Hackimoto]

would that also work on most plants Hack?? say benji ficus ??

Yes, it works on any plant that has dormant buds lurking under the bark. This is how natural "Raft" style trees are formed. A tree falls or is blown over and the sap flow dominance changes, as does the sun angle hitting the trunk. Any trees' natural response is to grow branches where the maximum sun will produce maximum photosynthesis. Hence plants growing towards the light source (windows) indoors. In-arch grafting or thread grafting would also be an excellent method but I noticed that your "Bonsai Age" was 1 year and thought it might be a bit overwhelming if you had not done either of them before.

[Gareth]

yeah i was going to thread graft it, but want to make sure the area is actually alive.

VS, mate, its one of the small fish boxes, but yes work releated recycling.

[Gareth]

would that also work on most plants Hack?? say benji ficus ??

Yes, it works on any plant that has dormant buds lurking under the bark. This is how natural "Raft" style trees are formed. A tree falls or is blown over and the sap flow dominance changes, as does the sun angle hitting the trunk. Any trees' natural response is to grow branches where the maximum sun will produce maximum photosynthesis. Hence plants growing towards the light source (windows) indoors. In-arch grafting or thread grafting would also be an excellent method but I noticed that your "Bonsai Age" was 1 year and thought it might be a bit overwhelming if you had not done either of them before.

that info has to be incorrect, ill change that if i can, i think ive been on here for that long, but mnaybe not and that might be how long ive been registered, but ive been doing bonsai for about 10 years on and off, so thread grafting doesnt phase me.

[Hackimoto]

Sorry It was Rintars age that I was looking at.

[Guy]

I would also keep the foliage on the rest of the plant pretty tight in-