AusBonsai

A quick update of progress so far.
I repotted and styled the small Melaleuca in Mid January. It has been sitting in a tray of water since then and frequently pinched to keep shoots short.
No fertilizer was added after the repot. Fertilizer recommenced at the beginning of this month (March).
Measuring 14cm from base to highest point and the widest part of the base is around 4cm. The new leaves are always red and slowly turn green as then mature. Prolific budding after every prune makes the Mels really suitable for bonsai material. The red leaves more than make up for the lack of flowers.

You made the most of the extra months of growing… nice!

Ryceman3 wrote: ↑March 19th, 2022, 4:33 pm You made the most of the extra months of growing… nice!

Thanks Rycemen. The comment you posted in October prompted me to post this update. It looked miserable in October and I wanted to show how vigorous Mels recover in the warmer months. But be sure to leave it alone in the cooler months.

It's been a wonderful journey and I look forward to seeing what wonderful things others have done in this competition.
There is no looking back with natives for me. I am addicted. So much so, I got rid of a lot of my other pre-bonsais to make room for the more natives.

Here is my final update. Thank you for the opportunity. I've learnt a lot from everyone including myself.
Good luck to all competitors. Some beautiful bonsais created from this competition.

Another great little experiment, well done!