New Buxus, any suggests or comments?

[bonsaibeginer]

Hi all.
I recently purchased this quite sorry looking Buxus Harlandi from a nusery I had not been to before. (Thanks Ash for the Jilinda nursery tip )

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I was a little apprehensive at first as the tree did not look to be in a good way with the yellow leaves and aphids but the size of the trunk is what won me over. It only cost $20 and I figured I could get it back to health. I have bought ones the size of a small branch for just less... (being up here I don't have access to any bonsai nurseries so have to "bend over and take it" sometimes)
After doing a bit of a clean up and very light trim I'm even more confused with where to go from here.

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I'll be barerooting this in a cpl days, when I have some
time, and was planning to soak the tree in a seasol bath to try revive it abit... don't know what the roots look like as yet but it will probably go back into a large pot.
The trunk branchs into 3 very large but equal leaders, I'm a little stumped by where to go, can a bixus be heavy pruned almost truck chopped (it has budding low down down on all the main leaders so I might've asnwered that...) or could I jin one???
I'll get some better shots when I'm off the phone and on the computer again, but any suggests so far would be helpful. Thanks

[lennard]

Love the bark on the tree - is that a variety of the normal species?

You don't have to remove all the trunks/branches. There are a lot of natural tree species growing the way your tree is shaped. I can think of old Jacaranda trees, old live Oaks and even old Liquambar trees having multiple trunks/branches like that.

The important thing is that you will have to place the secondary branches seeing the multiple trunks/branches as one trunk- one left, one right, one at the back etc.

This way you will have a nice tree much sooner as with chopping it back drastically(It can be cut back drastically if there are new shoots showing - but to play safe I will let the new shoots grow out a bit.)

Don't know your conditions- here spring to early Autumn is a good time to repot.

Lennard

[bonsaibeginer]

Thanks for the idea, I'm going to have another look with your idea in mind. To be honest I've never even thought of that. This is going to be my first major tree into a pot, most of my trees are in larger nursery pots, so I'm lookng forward doing the work.
The label on the tree says buxus harlandi but that's all I got...
Thanks again for the input

[Ray M]

Hi bonsaibeginer,
This is the beautiful bark you will get with the Buxus Harlandi. Take your time before cutting the tree to much.

Regards Ray

[bonsaibeginer]

Well it's been awhile since I've posted and just finished working on this tree again

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I started out by removing most of the roots and potting it out into this concrete training pot (the biggest pot I had) and started removing some branches including 2 main branches to open it up. A new twist was that massive root coming out the one side after raising the trunk out the dirt. Still trying to figure out what to do with that as I don't know how the tree will react to removing this. Something to work on next repot...

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It shot nicely and everywhere on the tree and so decided to start the training. I've thinnned it out some and bent the main 3 branches down, no way I'd be able to wire these branches without marking or removing the bark...

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Now I think I'll leave it for a rest and see where we go. Feel free to comment, still in training myself so any advise is good

Grant

[bonsaibeginer]

Sorry about the pictures people. A bit late for me ro be doing this tonight...
Could I ask someone to turn them around for me, need to figure out how to edit my posts?
Thanks

[bonsaibeginer]

Thought I would update this tree.
I removed the old guy wire and replaced that and inceased the downward bend. I am still trying to figure where I'm going with this tree but for now this is it.

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I've thinned it out a bit, except were I've removed a sizable branch to try aid the healing. I think I've chosen the branches I'm using at the moment. Planning on cutting the left first branch back to where the wire is and continue the branch with a smaller.

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I'm a little lost with this tree. My wife pointed out the nice line of the trunk if I cut all the branches off except the small 2nd onebon the left... not bad considering the 140 base and just 200 to the end of that branch, it might be the best tree in the long run. Any thoughts on that?
Grant

[Boics]

I think with the shortening of the left branch and some work on some foliage pads the look of this tree will improve.
My view of what to do when stuck is just to leave it and come back to it. The decision gets clear one day.
Keep us posted. I too love the bark and aged look of the trunk.

[longd_au]

Would you consider a design like this?

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Grow the center to create a new layered apex.
What do you think?

I love the trunk texture. I dug a buxus in spring that has a similar thick trunk but the bark is nowhere as rough and textured as yours.
I did find the cuts don't heal very fast and the tree is very slow growing.