PRIVET MAKEOVER

[MelaQuin]

PRIVET MAKEOVER

Just because you buy ‘a bonsai’ it does not necessarily mean that the bonsai does not need improvement and styling refinement. This is the privet when it was purchased. It has a lot of attributes including the thickness of the trunk, the trunk movement, the scar and the general layout and movement of the branches. This tree was trained as a bonsai but was allowed to grow out and it was not root pruned sufficiently. The pot was chockablock with roots and that restricted the tree’s growth and development and there were a lot of dead branchlets.

R0015929.jpg

Natural scar on the front of the privet when it was purchased. The roll of the healing callous is wonderful and gives a lot of age to the trunk. The actual scar wood is rotted and needs attention. As well, it is protruding a bit beyond the callous and the viewer sees the scar rather than the callous roll.

Bon Privet Scar 2.jpg

After an hour session with the Dremel the rotted wood was removed and the trunk partially hollowed. It needs a bit of refinement and probably more wood removed but this was enough for one session. The finish will have to wait a couple of months until the roots strengthen after a massive root prune. By that time the new scar will have greyed and will look more natural. Once any fresh wounds to the cambian have healed wood hardener will be applied. Privet is a soft wood and care needs to be taken to ensure the exposed wood does not rot. Then again, if it rots then more can easily be removed leaving just the shell and an even nicer tree could result.

Bon Privet Scar 3.jpg

The top has had a lot of conflicting, crowding and crossing branches removed. Once the tree starts to shoot again the silhouette will be reduced by at least 2 cm to take away the leggy look. Some wiring needs to be done to reposition some branches but this will wait until the roots have recovered and the tree is stable in the pot.

Bon Privet Scar 4.jpg

Flip back to photo #1 and then to this last photo. The emphasis has been taken away from the over heavy top and put back to the trunk. The tree has been "liberated' from a pot that was too heavy and too constrictive for the fluid lines of the tree. The tree might be a bit high in the pot after adding more and more soil to ensure the roots had no air pockets. It will put out a lot of roots and in 2-3 months can be repotted and will be repotted to sit lower in the pot but I quite like this casual, relaxed pot - its curvy lines suit the curves of the tree. The dark colour is earthy, gives a feeling of rolling hills and puts the visual emphasis on the tree and not on the pot.

Bon Privet Scar 5 .jpg

For the next couple of months the tree will be allowed to rest and recover and the next round of work will resume when it is putting out a lot of new growth. This will include refining the carving, wiring and repositioning some of the branches and starting to compact the silhouette to reduce the expanse of the crown. Then, and only then, will it be back to being considered a Bonsai.

[MoGanic]

Excellent progress thusfar, absolutely loving the scar too.

No privets in my collection as yet, need a new bench and grow area first

Looking forward to the next few months.

-Mo

[kcpoole]

Lovely tree and will only improve further. the pot looks great.
Where did you purchase it? from a nursery or private?

Ken

[bodhidharma]

Wow, lots and lots of branch selection. It will improve no end once it is wired out Mel. Love it.

[lacertilian]

Hi,
I really think you have got something special with the tree and pot combination there. Such an improvement!

[MelaQuin]

The pot was made by Lynette Smith now in the Coffs Harbour area. I bought it from a fellow enthusiast who didn't like the yellow colour [no, you are not colour blind]. I gave it to a mate of mine who does bonsai and ceramics and he put another lot of glaze on it and fired it and the green resulted. It's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years with no tree interested... until this privet came into my hands.

[GavinG]

Excellent tutorial. Good to see how it all works.

Thanks,

Gavin

[Chad]

Great work.
Thanks for explaining all the steps, it's a great lesson for people new to bonsai. Love the pics to.