I thought it was a privet.

[scuba16]

Hello all, I'm very new to bonsai. I have a heap (I caught the bug) (need 1 of everything) of trees that are 5-10 year projects but this is one of my first trees. I collected it from the backyard and thanks to some heavy clay the roots hadn't grown deep but spread across the surface. I placed it in a big black tub and have cut it back and let it grow and now just clipping foliage into some kind of shape. I'm after a few pieces of advice:
1. Originally I thought it was a privet but now am unsure
2. Is it now too hot to repot?
3. How should I style?

This is my bad boy, he's about 700mm high, tub it's in is 700mmx600mm for some dimensions and I'm just starting to grow a branch on the left hand side that has a few scares from some wire I left too long.


Different angle - looking at the photo's it seems that foliage is too far from trunk, would this be right?


Close up of leaves - please identify for me.

Finally I took this cutting of the top of the main trunk and put some root hormone and wrapped in spag moss. It's now about 3months on, I've trimmed out some branches and I think it will turn out nicely.

[Isitangus]

Definitely a privet

[scuba16]

ok cool (should have known, I usely only grow weeds). the overall look I'm trying to achieve is something like this.

[jadecuphey87]

They are some very nice stumps.especially the first
Of the photos. Very nice

[kcpoole]

Nice stumps
I assume that they are not recently collected and you have had them potted up for a while? if so then in Ipswich you should be able to repot any time you like. Privet are tough,

How should you style?
Select the branches you want to keep and cut them back hard, You are right the foliage on the branch end is too far out Unless you want to let the rest of the canopy to grow out to join it, but doing so will make a Huge tree

Cannot see the branching so a bit hard to make a decison from here, but look at the outliine of the tree and try to imaging the branching and canopy covering the trunks and that will help you place your branches.

Ken

[bodhidharma]

A nice beginning and i like the direction you are choosing. Be aware though, that up your way they suffer from dieback if you are not on top of its health and watering regime. Red spider mite also like setting up shop in them. It will need good feeding and watering habits. Jet spray the foliage on a weekly basis to keep the spider mite out.

[scuba16]

I;m loving how much it grows, will have to throw on another updated pic. It seems to love Dynamic lifter and Rooster booster but I've stopped giving as much now during Autumn and Winter. The second tree came of the main trunk, I thought it was too big so cut it back and chucked all the cuttings in a humidity tank and was very proud that they grew on. (I know I know, it's only a privet). I can see why they’re pest as where I dug it from the ground there is hundreds of little trees popping up everywhere.