PRIVET ( LIGUSTRUM )

[Dave54]

PRIVET ( LIGUSTRUM )

One addition that I would like to make to the following article which was written in 2000 is that with scissors, rather than hand trimming, there is a tendency to make your bonsai look a bit like “topiary”. Always ensure that you pinch some irregular shaping into your foliage pads. I came across an interesting quote that I would like to share with you :-
“Bonsai combines the beauty of man-made sculpture with the harmony and perfection of nature, in one art form”.

FAMILY : Oleaceae

GENUS : Ligustrum

SPECIES : “ Vulgare ( European
Privet )
“ Ovalifolium
CLIMATE : Most areas, doesn’t like too much
humidity
Don’t place in shadehouse
Can become semi deciduous in cold winters and
old leaves can turn yellow and drop.

POTTING MIX : Any

POSITION : Full sun- part shade. Not shadehouse

PROPAGATION : Seed Or Cutting

PESTS : Cattapillars or Grubs

What great material for bonsai is the humble Privet. There is some debate about the name of the local variety but I believe it to be ‘Ligustrum Ovalifolium’ and it is not only readily available but it is a vigorous grower.
Privet is extremely hardy, has relatively small leaves and is pest free. It grows like a weed in paddocks and along highways and from a bonsai viewpoint it is great that cows help to design the tree naturally through grazing.
I have found Privet to be great bonsai material, as it adapts to pot culture and takes any amount of top and root pruning. It appears to grow through all but the coldest months.
The more pinching and pruning that is done, the more compact the plant
becomes and the smaller the leaves become.
Any potting mix seems to suit, however, like any other tree, good drainage is essential. Rarely can Privet be purchased from a nursery as most areas class it as a noxious weed, however, club members usually have access to a supply of ‘cow-eaten’ material.
The basic growth habit is as for any hedge shrub, so the more pruning the more compact the growth. Its vigorous nature allows the growth of a new apex or new branch quickly and as such it is a quite forgiving plant as mistakes can be corrected in a relatively short time.
Removing all branches will result in a profusion of trunk buds that allows you to choose branches to suit whatever style you wish.

New shoots tend to grow upward and it is important to wire these shoots early as the wood is quite brittle and unbending as it gets older. Once your main branches have been wired into
position. The ‘Clip and Grow’ method seems to work well in developing branch ‘pads’, however, pinch pruning gives a more natural look.

Due to the fast growing nature of privets, young growth will usually set in only a few weeks so
remove wire quickly as it will cut into branches. Through spring and summer, pruning or ‘taming’ is non- stop, but your bonsai will reach refinement stage very quickly and dense pads of foliage will be achieved.
The downside of the quick growth of the tree is that the root system grows just as fast and you will need to repot in both spring and autumn to maintain tree vigour( larger trees will get away with an annual repot).
You will be surprised that the entire pot becomes a block of white roots that generally requires a saw to rootprune. (The question is, where does the potting mix go?). Remove about half the root mass as it will regenerate very quickly.

Full sun or part shade will see privet flourish but keep the water up to it. If you forget to
water, the leaves may wilt and if you catch it early enough place it in a tub of water and the tree should bounce back.
If, however, privet is left without water for too long it may shed its leaves as a defence
mechanism, but usually shoots back soon after.

Occasionally a small grub eats away at privet in our local area but generally they are pest free and are unaffected by aphis, scale, thrips etc.
Privet has been known to occasionally drop its leaves and look a bit unwell,
however, with regular root pruning and fertilizing there should be no problems.

This is great bonsai material, which also lends itself to carving and even though it is a soft wood, treatment with lime sulphur will preserve the carved area for years.
ADDENDUM
To answer Hector's question about Privet losses :- The privet seem to like the natural elements. My temp range is -5 to +45 degrees.
People who keep them in a shade house generally have poor success.
They do have a profusion of feeder roots, so possibly your shallow pots were an issue.
They do love water
I have had a couple of losses due to "Curl Grub" in the soil. They actually eat the carved deadwood as well as the roots. A chapter in my book "Bonsai Ramblings" details the problem with devastating photos of the result.
cheers
Dave

[Steven]

Thanks Dave for an excellent article!

Can you please let us know your thoughts on timing for root pruning?
Also, do you allow yours to flower and fruit? Personally, I dislike Privet for its disastrous effects in taking over our bushland and waterways. I do however have a couple in my collection but I never let them fruit!

I would like to encourage everyone to go out and collect a Privet or 10 and kill all the ones you find that are not suitable for bonsai.

Regards,
Steven

[Dave54]

Hi Steven,
as you know I am criticized for too much pruning, Topiary to some of my harshest critics in this forum. As such I never let them flower or subsequently seed.
Where possible I repot and rootprune all Privets in both Spring and Autumn and the pots are ALWAYS full of fibrous roots every time.
Sometimes I miss a repot with the big ones and you can definately see them lose vigour by the next repot.
cheers
Dave
PS glad you enjoyed the read Steven.

[Hector Johnson]

Message Deleted

[anttal63]

good read dave thanks for sharing!

[Amanda]

Thanks Dave, an interesting article.