Melaleuca linariifolia

[Andrew Legg]

I don't know what all the fuss is about really! Ozzy keeps telling me to burn all my trees!

[Craig]

Thats Gold Andrew

[kcpoole]

cmon Mitchell
What have you done? we need an update

Ken

[bodhidharma]

cmon Mitchell
What have you done? we need an update

Ken

I think he is building the excitement. Either that or he burnt the house down

[kcpoole]

cmon Mitchell
What have you done? we need an update

Ken

I think he is building the excitement. Either that or he burnt the house down

[Mitchell]

Sorry, guys and gals been away from the comp for a few days camping.

Ha ha, not much to show, just a pretty sore and sorry example of a tree.

I'll grab a shot for you all. Now comes the waiting, will it die or does it have some stored energy in the base.
I believe it has a fair chance of surviving. Looking at it now, 100% of the foliage is burnt and dead. I believe though the base holds enough energy to bud back.
I am having second thoughts now, as I should have left some green. Though I guess we don't truly learn until the extreme is committed.


No I didn't burn the house down, thanks for the concern.

[Istari]

wooshka. love your enthusiasum. for ya mate.

[Mitchell]

Thanks Istari.

Here's a shot of the plant.

[bodhidharma]

Aww..c'mon Mitchell, ya wus, you didnt even singe the bucket.

[Pup]

Aww..c'mon Mitchell, ya wus, you didnt even singe the bucket.

Hey Bodhi, he did say a soft burn no thats methat says that

[Mitchell]

I'm checking everyday for green, looks very depressing atm, but will be worth it if I get a bud burst.

My current feeling is that it will die.

Ever flash all the green off before Pup? Did it survive?

[Pup]

I'm checking everyday for green, looks very depressing atm, but will be worth it if I get a bud burst.

My current feeling is that it will die.

Ever flash all the green off before Pup? Did it survive?

I have personally never done that but Mother nature sure has, in an area that Pup and I go for a walk.
There were two trees that I had permission to collect they were small, about 1 metre. However some little scum bag set fire to it. The small trees did no survive but the larger trees are firing away very well. It took 5 months.

It was a rather small but intence fire, most of the small trees did not survive, the ones over two metres did, and are all well on the way now.

Cheers Pup

[Mitchell]

It's alive, it's ALIVE!!!

This morning noticed new shoots bursting, will grab some shots tonight after work.

[MattA]

It's alive, it's ALIVE!!!

This morning noticed new shoots bursting, will grab some shots tonight after work.

[Mitchell]

The tree today.

My observations suggest that even a mild flashing with fire of the outer layers of bark and new shoots will result in prolific back budding. Internode spacing has decreased exponentially, whereas before after initial burns a few months back we had new branches 1 inch apart, we now have branches literally growing ontop of each other. Extraordinary.

For mother nature.


I am enjoying the natural experience of shaping this tree so much, I believe I will endure and try to create a bonsai via only natural methods. This would surely be a task that would prove to be rewarding if completed. I doubt myself and do not believe this plant will go anywhere, as my last posts suggest I did indeed believe it would die after total foliage removal.
Not only has it survived my methods it is throwing it right back in my face. A ground planted tree I have no doubt may survive, but a 150mm trunked tree that was over 2.4m tall before collecting now residing in a 200mm pot. It amazes me everyday that I don't kill this thing.


Thanks for looking. If anyone has some suggestion on natural methods to create a bonsai, I would love to hear. ATM I can only think of another tree falling against it, or a flash flood, I need something I can simulate effectively. Your comments would be appreciated greatly.


I am gonna celebrate now with a couple of 's as I have found two fronts that interest me. 1 that I feel may be worth pursuing, a "windswept fire ravaged tree" the other a sumo, interesting and powerful yet does not appeal to me as much.
He's a shot of what I could create a massive windswept from. Just an idea, I am not making the decisions the plant is, so I will see where it takes me.

2.JPG

Once again I find myself continually pondering as to what makes me see bonsai in a tree. To be honest my biggest issue in this hobby is being able to see a bonsai, most every time I view what is said to be a bonsai, I see a plant in a pot. I long to see a bonsai, a plant in a pot that represents to me the image of one in nature. Even masters of bonsai seem to fail to meet my criteria of a bonsai. I myself have no bonsai and I don't expect really to ever have some I can view as a true rep. This sadens me greatly because I long to sit and view, to stare and be lost, to contemplate and receive, in a world of imagination created from a plant in a pot. I just don't get it, I hate it, with every neat curve, controlled pad, tapered base, I get further from what I want to see in it.
Yamadori sourced trees I can relate with better, hence my search for natural techniques in our art like fire burning which Pup has brought us to know . This I want no mis-conceptions about.

I use and want to endorse the technique of fire styling, I did not come up with it mother nature did. If anyone wants to know more I suggest Pup is your man, I am just someone whom thinks it is a neat styling technique.