AusBonsai

Ok thanks to elmar and Rory for the advice. So where should I cut it back to?

The root sucker was off the lignotuber so I took it off. The roots are about 1.5cm below the lignotuber. Should I just cut it back to the 2nd branch and leave the first branch? It would become less than 15cm tall if I were to do that.

Rory,
Any chance of separating the 'sucker' with the root to make a separate tree?


Edit:- never mind. Just reread the info... Fought it was growing of a root, not the lignotuber.

That's a hard question to answer.
Firstly... How big do you want the tree to finally be?
When did you last cut it back? Looks quite recent.
How much sun in the day does it get?
Where are you moving to?
Have u recently pruned the roots?

Not all eucs have a lignotuber. Hard to see ur tree as I'm using my phone.
If it doesn't have a lignotuber then you can be more relaxed about the odd sucker or 2.

I cut it back last week. It's in cairns now and lives on a balcony and gets about 6hours of sun per day. I'm moving to Adelaide. It was last root pruned in October last year.

Okay, in that case I'd wait until you've moved. Let the tree put on heaps of foliage and get healthy now.
Where you want the new leader to grow down low, try to make sure that area gets full sun and ensure it doesn't have multiple shoots at that point. But don't cut anymore or trunk chop for at least 5 months or more. Often if you 'double cut back' on eucalyptus branches / trunk in a short time, you'll get die back. Especially if you cut back only 1 week after a cut back.

I fertilize eucs with osmocote slow release native pellets, and power feed for natives.

How big do you want the tree? The new shoot to promote down low is just going to be for a bit of slight movement and taper, so try to remember everything above this shoot where u will eventually cut is irrelevant and let it go nuts above this point.
Then repeat this process about 10 times over the next 10 years and ull be sweet

I was thinking 30-45cm would be a nice size to be a managable bonsai but also potentially get some rainbow appearance on the trunk.

Here's one i have been growing. Firstly i don't think these should be planted in the ground. The roots on this one is going crazy. I am really waiting for the weather to warm up to give it a root trim. Grew to 1.2m and cut i back. Should have cut a bit above as it has backbud lower then i wanted but fingers crossed i see something pop up soon.

This is mine now.

Update on my rainbow, growing strong even in this cold weather, and the lower trunk is starting to get cracks in the bark. Not sure what to do with it, I cut it back to a lower branch after waiting 5 months from the previous chop I'd made. I didn't wire the new leader as it grows so fast and I thought the light would cause it to grow upwards but I'm thinking now I need to wire it upwards with a few twists for movement. Other than that, I've just been letting it grow. Any suggestions how to wire it so it looks like a natural new leader? Perhaps just wire slight on an angle outwards then next chop I do should be at a new leader branch that moves in the opposite direction?

I have a 1 and 1/2 mt rainbow gum i want to bonsai has anyone been successful with this species?

nerida wrote:I have a 1 and 1/2 mt rainbow gum i want to bonsai has anyone been successful with this species?

I am currently working on 1. It has survived a hard root prune and multiple trunk chops. Back buds quite rapidly and keeps powering on.

Thought i might put it straight into a large display pot so i dont have to keep repotting it bit worried about too much root disturbance

Just repotted and chopped mine again. Waiting for the new buds to open.


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Mine a few weeks after root prune and cut back.


The chop is healing quickly