AusBonsai

I'm with Ken and Olive on this one. Privet seemed to handle just about anything and never seen a sick one or bugs on one either. I would say they are great for beginners as they will handle some neglect and can be cut back hard and regrown if mistakes are made and as Pup has shown they make great trees. Jeeez, what more do you from a tree . Oh and most people want then pulled out of their garden for free Sorry but I love privet.

Josh

ive never heard of a privet causing disease on other plants they are just like any other plant/tree out there. they are only technically weeds on Aus because they are a prolifically growing exotic species. In Europe they are just average plants and nothing to cause a fuss over and be worried about as people seem to do here because they are labelled as '"weeds". Privet or as i say, ligustrum, which seems to prevent some people from giving me the weird looks most of the time, is probably one of my favorite species to work with. Fast growing, easily ramified, small foliage, hardy in most zones and has an almost inexhaustible amount of possible collected material which can be found with great trunks, twisted and winding with dead wood and great taper if you know where to look. They also have fantastic bark if you find a nice old specimen or the corky barked variants that can sometimes be found.
Id live to see more privet used in the future and and seen as just as important a tree as others are in the bonsai world such as Pups lovely example here which is quite a stunning piece.

I was told that they did because Selby said they nearly lost all there stock because of that with privet I like privet I got a heap ready to dig up so many up here

The mention of disease had me concerned also. Over the years of neglect this tree has had. ( yes I am yet to fix the rotten part, just have earls wood hardener there at the moment)

I did notice that Scale mainly reddish in colour was rampant, which was either spread from the roses or too them. Anyway moved the tree treated it and no more problems, and it sits qite happily with other trees that are healthy as.

Cheers Pup

Ps when this seasons re potting is finished and the weather warms so it dries the cement, will be looking at the rot.