AusBonsai

Hi,
I've potted this up about 6 weeks ago, and it seems to have survived my butchery, is it safe to defoliate, or should I let it be for a bit to get established?
Thanks

Well done looks like you have the pictures sorted now..
That last one was a decent size and quality...

As far as defoliation goes I'll leave that up to others to guide you..

If you need some help with pics and re-sizing there are some threads in the "menu" forum
like this one viewtopic.php?f=97&t=161

i see said the blind man... thank you!

this is it just after i potted it, twas in a plastic nursery pot beforehand.

I would be selectivley removing branches wher eyu have several coming from the same location on the trunk there.
If you do not the trunk will swell and create treverse taper.

You can start to defoliate L.A now and I continually remove the larger leaves all thru summer

Ken

thanks Ken, I'll do that. When I defoliate now... should all the leaves go? Even the tiny new shoots? or just the main large leaves?

Qitianlong wrote:thanks Ken, I'll do that. When I defoliate now... should all the leaves go? Even the tiny new shoots? or just the main large leaves?

I only remove the ones too large for the tree.

Tip prune as needed

Ken

ok... cut it back a bit, removed some branches as suggested and took off some leaves...
enough? too tentative?

You can be a tenative as you feel comfortable with, but i would take more off.
Try on 1 branch only if you are scared and see the result.

Ken

If you want to let more light into the tree to help buds grow, remove 1 leaf from each pair on the outer branches. This will let twice as much light into the interior of the tree to promote bud growth for ramifications without loosing all the photosynthesising Leaves for growth. Plus remove overly large leaves like you have done.

Hugh

kcpoole wrote:I would be selectivley removing branches wher eyu have several coming from the same location on the trunk there.
If you do not the trunk will swell and create treverse taper.

+1
as you are trying to both a) create taper and b) establish roots I suggest continual tip pruning; leaf pinching and removal of any substantal growth from the TOP half of the tree. Let shoots from the bottom half "go wild" - you can cut these off next winter or as soon as they get to 50% of local trunk diameter (to keep scarring under control)

thanks crew! i'll get back to work on it!

Hey all, just an update on my LA.

First pic is how it looked this morning, second pic is how it looks now... any comments or suggestions welcome!!!

As of yesterday. Ken, I understand now about cutting back and defol. more with LA... they come back pretty hard...