AusBonsai

Hi everyone...except Mojo, cause he hates privets
I spied this privet a couple of years ago on a vacant block of land around the corner from my place, but it was surrounded by massive rocks and other junk so I patiently waited...and waited.
Today the block was finally being leveled and the workers with their heavy machinery made my life a lot easier. They destroyed a ripper comprosma that I wanted to get , but I can't complain as they hauled out the privet I had been eyeing off for a while.
I explained the situation and they said "she's all yours mate!".
I raced home and grabbed my tools but in my haste I forgot the camera. It was around 2.5 metres tall, and 2 or so metres wide with stacks of sub trunks forming a messy bush.
I quickly trimmed back the upper growth, and flat cut the base with a hand saw (I really need to get a reciprocating saw because it took ages to cut through and I sure was stuffed afterwards), took it home to hose it down and clean it up properly.
Unfortunately the machinery that the workers dug it out with damaged some of the sub-trunks, splitting them and tearing the bark off in areas.
Sorry...3 out of 4 pics are blurry
After these pics were taken I cut it back a fair way but left some room for die back etc.
It was dark outside by the time I finished so I couldn't take any more pics...I will post some tomorrow.
By the way, do privet take from root cuttings, or do you need to graft foliage on first?
I hope they do because I kept a couple just in case.
Cheers, Dario.

A really nice stump Dario. I look forward to its progression, shame about the coprosma as they, to, make wonderful bonsai. It is good when you have machinery to help you dig but they make a mess. They dont have to as we had a dig with a small excavator we hired and the guy did not damage one tree.

That is a cracka piece of material Good luck with it !!! Im with Mojo on these species

agreed! excellent material. pic 1 looks like a good option for the best side at the moment.

Hugh

Dario, don't get me started about bloody Coprosma!!!

True, I am not a fan of Privets, I'll explain why. My anti Privet attitude is mainly to do with the hundreds of collected ones I see that are just great big lumps with logs for nebari, columns for trunks, grossly overweight dead straight primary branches and coarse elliptical masses passing themselves off as foliage pads (foliage mattresses is closer to the mark).

Oh and the "poor mans Kimura" carve and whitewash hatchet job, often used to "disguise" lack of taper or botched trunk chops infuriate me too.

As a plant I find Ligustrum pretty bland to begin with, as a hedging plant it is functional enough, I guess, but is far superseded by more modern hedging plants (Lilly-Pilly instantly comes to mind). Despite being more attractive after a six pack, in bonsai culture there can be great examples made with this species, from very large trees to shohin and mame that I would happily buy and own.

Yes, Privets in Australia are usually free, but so are Pinus radiata, I have seen way more of those live up to their bonsai potential.

Dario, I hope you can build a Privet that will impress me (and yourself) with what you have collected. It can be done.

Cheers,
Mojo

sounds like a challenge dario from Mojo do u accept

What about my one you said you liked it........
mojo i hear u but they do have some positive traits (fast growth, excessive back budding , rigious roots, can look good when defoliated) . I have 2 that i have kept for a few years now.they require alot of work and water during the growing months overwise are pretty worry free. Find one you like and it may grow on you........

bodhidharma wrote:A really nice stump Dario. I look forward to its progression, shame about the coprosma as they, to, make wonderful bonsai. It is good when you have machinery to help you dig but they make a mess. They dont have to as we had a dig with a small excavator we hired and the guy did not damage one tree.

Hi Bodhi, thanks mate (Mojo, look away from the screen now ) ...yeah bodhi I have been looking for a nice comprosma stump to work for a while now, and even though I had been past this block of land many times over the last couple of years I never saw the comprosma as it was the only one and it was hidden in a corner behind some shrubs. Oh well I should of grabbed it last week but I wanted to ask the workers first.
Thanks Antonio for the well wishes

hugh grant wrote: pic 1 looks like a good option for the best side at the moment. Hugh

Hi Hugh, yeah I also think the first pic is the best view.Cheers mate. I know you love your privets
Hi Mojo, thanks for explaing your take on privet, I get where you coming from I totally agree about the radiatas...they rock!
I have seen pics of some nice privet bonsai
(pitty I don't drink otherwise I am sure they would look even better ), and I always wanted to have a go at one, but I never expected it to be this big

Sahara wrote:sounds like a challenge dario from Mojo do u accept

Hey Sahara, I don't think I have the ability yet, but I will certainly give it a shot. I think it will take quite a few years though.
Hi Mathew, I have seen one of your privets and it sure is a sweet one!
I will post the pics tomorrow as I was too busy today.
Oh yeah, can someone please tell me if privet take from root cuttings? Thanks!
Thanks for all the feedback guys
Cheers, Dario.

Hi Matt, that Privet of yours is one that I like and would be happy to own . But you already know that, and you should be used to me lusting after your trees by now!

Sahara wrote:sounds like a challenge dario from Mojo do u accept

Sahara, I don't see it as a challenge, I just hope that Dario doesn't settle for less than his trees can be, just because some of the rest of the heard has. Don't get me wrong, I happily admit that Privet make great bonsai. Just not often enough given their availability, response to pruning and ease of care.

Cheers,
Mojo

Mojo Moyogi wrote:I just hope that Dario doesn't settle for less than his trees can be, just because some of the rest of the heard has.
Cheers,
Mojo

Hey Mojo, thanks mate!
As a beginner I see every tree I aquire as a chance to grow and learn with, and hopefully I will get better the more I practice.
I like this stump and think it has some potential. I am sure that more experienced bonsai folk could do this material more justice than I am currently capable of, and acheive a better result.
I see this as a long term project and I will try my hardest for a good outcome with this privet.
I realise that I sound like a broken record but is it possible to take root cuttings with this species?...I have tried the search function entering "root cuttings", and I get an enormous amout of results to sift through. But they seem to either be about cuttings or roots...not root cuttings?
Maybe I need to learn how to search properly?
Cheers, Dario.

Now this is my type of material i love it great find you have there an cant wait to see it progress
What is the size of it height, base of trunks etc

Thanks Olivecrazy
I am borrowing my brothers reciprocating saw this weekend, so I will pot it up then and take some before and after pics, as well as measurements etc.
It is currently having a soak in water and seasol and will be left like that until I pot it at the weekend.
Cheers, Dario.