Old Swampy

[bki]

Hi all. i bought this tree from Mt Evelyn last year and it is in a polybox with no leaves at all but i was attacted by the shape of the trunk. it has only 2 branches and they are too far from the base of the tree so i said "this will be a long journey to develop a new structure on this tree". Never had a tree of this species before but i am willing to gamble. The bonsaiman found an old plastic tab on the soil saying "27 years old (2007)" and told me that this tree came from Tasmania. when i got home, i repotted it and it stayed in the same pot since then.
As my old swampy failed the audition on another thread about fast growth as the method is not suitable to this species. Good thing is Graeme pm'ed some instructions.

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Can't find a large polybox so i deviated from the instruction and decided to use a large chinese pot and put a fine mesh and a handful of propagating sand on each holes to regulate the water discharge. i then put a bucket of potting soil and filled in some water about an inch above the soil. The water level stayed above the soil mix for more than 30 minutes and i was happy with this discharge rate.

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i quickly put something above the layer of soil (as per instruction) and positioned the tree as fast as i can and then filled the pot with soil and applied a thin layer of sphagnum moss (not on the instruction, i just want to counter the eveporation). i heard my wife asking the boys "one of my hot plates is missing. it is a rectangular cast-iron about 14 inch wide and 18 inch long. Have you seen one?"

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Add some white peebles on top.

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The old lady reckons she found a humidity tray for the minis.

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Not part of the plan and the instruction but i can't fight the feeling, i carefully defoliated the tree and wired the branches. i planned to do this next summer. So here it is, ready for another 2 to 3 growing years. i'll be happy to hear some advise or critiques on developing this tree.

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[Boics]

Tree looks great...
I don't own a swampy yet...
Shame cause I think I cut a big one down from my front yard once upon a time..

Love the "summer camp"!
Beautiful little mini's!

Looks like you must have some great tree's!

Sorry for lack of response, can only envisage that Christmas time got the better of us..

[Meagi]

Hi
What is over all height of tree ..love the look of it and its overall size

[Qitianlong]

Awesome! Any updated pics?

[bki]

Boics, Meagi and Qitianlong,
Thank you for the kind words.
The overall height from top of peebles is 85cm.
i am aiming for 90cm in 2 years. you can see the new 1st branch on the lower right of the picture and still waiting for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. all of the other lower growth will have to go.
Cheers,
BKI

[Meagi]

Hi BKI

do these acctually loose there leaves in autum ?

[bki]

Leaves will all be brown in late autumn and it flushes new growth in spring later than all of my trees.