Tips for Paperbarks and other Melaleucas

[Pup]

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When I was going to re pot this M, rhaphiophylla
I noticed that some of the trunk was beginning to get soft. Also the foliage was a bit unkempt. So two problems to solve. The first was easy get out the hedge shears and get rid of the excess growth so I could see where to start.
That done I re potted the tree. The to get the wood fixed I carved with chisels all the soft wood.
Then the Blow torch I went to work on the soft wood. Those that have been reading Bonsai focus (formaly Bonsai europe ) you will see some of our counter parts have been doing it too.
I started in 1987 my first public Demo. A victorian woman asked why I burnt the tree I said it was an Australian tree. She excepted that with a scrug. The real reason is to Harden the wood and stop it rotting as much as possible.
As I used to observe the trees that were burnt the wood was very hard. The other plus to this is Australian plants are stimulated into new growth by the heat of fire. So here is the re pot and hopefully the re birth,here are some pics. Pup

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[Bretts]

Hedge shears

[Jon Chown]

Pup, How far back can you trim the Melaleucas and does this create back budding? I notice on mine that I seem to get a lot of die back - perhaps not enough fertilizer.

Jon

[Steven]

Great post Pup. Excellent technique, thanks for sharing with us all!

[Pup]

Pup, How far back can you trim the Melaleucas and does this create back budding? I notice on mine that I seem to get a lot of die back - perhaps not enough fertilizer.

Jon

All ways work a tree that is healthy Jon.
As for how far back it will depend on the Melaleuca.Some pop back on old wood very easy others very slowly.
For instance the M, rhaphiophylla pictured will shoot back very well. Melaleuca nesophila does not. So it is a matter of slowly slowly.
I never cut back past a green leaf or needle. Unless I am absolutely sure it will back bud.
If you could let me know what species I might be able to help. I know that Linarifolia is one that you have to watch in that respect. Although the Hybrids of that one do shoot back well. I have found the Species to be stubborn. I hope I have been of some help. Pup

[Jon Chown]

Thank you Pup - You have been a great help. The tree that I am talking about is the one that I asked for identification on in a previous post and as you seem confident that it is a Linarifolia, I will work with this. It does seem to get quite a bit of die back in its growth and it also seems to get very rangy - is this because I am not cutting back often enough?

Jon

[Pup]

Thank you Pup - You have been a great help. The tree that I am talking about is the one that I asked for identification on in a previous post and as you seem confident that it is a Linarifolia, I will work with this. It does seem to get quite a bit of die back in its growth and it also seems to get very rangy - is this because I am not cutting back often enough?

Jon

That would be the problem Jon. As iI said be careful not to go back to far slowly slowly never behind foliage. Good luck Pup

[Asus101]

Pup I have a honey grey myrtle, i think its mel. inca or something like that.
On side died leaving some nice dead wood, but it sort of gives the feel of a wind swept. Can these guys be wired past parallel?

[Pup]

Pup I have a honey grey myrtle, i think its mel. inca or something like that.
On side died leaving some nice dead wood, but it sort of gives the feel of a wind swept. Can these guys be wired past parallel?

Asus I have seen them past the parallel. Melaleuca incana is the one called grey honey myrtle it has some hybrid's they do shoot back well.
Having made that statement, I only have one at the moment.
The one I saw past that point was in a semi cascade style and one I would gladly put on my benches.
If you are going to burn be CAREFUL of the foliage. I use a damp piece of rag. Never use foil as I saw someone try once. I warned him but was told I am a qualified Horticulturist. Cooked foliage. Not long to go and the fat man will be here so Merry Christmas to all our members. Also you little S#*t Pup

[MelaQuin]

The few Melaleuca's I've been working on have taken radical treatment very well indeed.
Melaleuca Quinquenervia, alternifolia and lineariifolia. All three have been 'trunked' [reduced from tall to nothing but trunk] and after a 'licking of the wounds', so to speak, proceeded to push out buds faster than I could wipe what I didn't need. The alternifolia, one of my best show trees, grew so robustly that I recently removed 90% of the foliage and 20% of the branches to open it up and get it back closer to the trunk. This tree is very healthy and responded immediately with reams of new growth. The lineariifolia was a recent acquisition and greatly reduced to just a trunk and it is a fuzz of green at the moment. I have not started eliminiating unwanted growth yet - which I should be doing instead of internetting.

I have not gone drastic with the other melas but I live near a street of massive paperbarks and the contortions of the huge branches is a delight so with my melaquins I have wired what will become major branches well downward and then swooping back up to try to mimic the natural growth of these wonderful trees. I'm working on my third and no tree has objected to growing well below horizontal and than up again... but maybe it's the 'up again' that works.

[Pup]

G, day MelaQuin. Missed this one!! . I am glad that you have trunked or slugged a Linarifolia. I have a couple that are coming up for a prune, I will be happy to cut them way back and start over. Yes I believe that would be the reason for growth pass the parallel. The ones we have planted as street trees do the same,I am still to source one. Tomorrow is going to be 39 in the city here it will probably get to 42--43 so I will be no further than the hose pipe. Lucky me I here you say.
I do have a question. Does the Melaleuca alternifolia have a nice aroma? I have a tree that is causing some conjecture. It was collected from a swamp in a suburb called Southern river. It is a bloody long way from Coffs Harbour and Maryborough.
The reason I ask is as stated where it was dug from, it is very aromatic,.
The other thing it has all of the points of Alternifolia.
This particular tree has been named Houdini by me. It has died!!back (4 )four times the foliage went completely grey dried out fell of then within a matter of days started growing again. I have had it named as Parviflora!!. though none of the books I have except Encyclopedia Botanica has this species named and described. Which is a source of frustration. So if you could help I would certainly appreciate it. Best regards Pup

[krittas]

When is the best time to trim these trees....hey pup i went to lullfitz on the weekend and got a couple of common paperbarks to start training(havent got the names on me) but they look abit tall and need to be trimed down to get them back into some type of proportion...what would you advise....cheers in advance...

[BB Brian]

When is the best time to trim these trees....hey pup i went to lullfitz on the weekend and got a couple of common paperbarks to start training(havent got the names on me) but they look abit tall and need to be trimed down to get them back into some type of proportion...what would you advise....cheers in advance...

Correct me if i'm wrong but I've been advised Spring, October is best time for a hard prune on the Mel species.
first time for me handling a Mel so i've decided to start with a light prune and see how it responds.

[MJL]

Once again, a new response has highlighted an old thread and I'm all there knowledgable for it. Thanks Pup!

Hi banong ... and one for you.... are you travelling and perhaps in a different time zone? Or do you often think of Bonsai at 1.47am?! ... if so, you're definitely hooked on this hobby!

[BB Brian]

Once again, a new response has highlighted an old thread and I'm all there knowledgable for it. Thanks Pup!

Hi banong ... and one for you.... are you travelling and perhaps in a different time zone? Or do you often think of Bonsai at 1.47am?! ... if so, you're definitely hooked on this hobby!

haha, i'm in Sydney and it was one of those sleepless but more productive nights
learning day and night