AusBonsai

Any ideas for shaping this one?

G'Day,

Lots of ideas! The first one would be to replant it away from the extreme right hand side of the pot a bit more central RHS. As currently planted the root system will develop lop-sided and the long term horticultural and aesthetic properties would be made better by planting further to the centre.

Have fun

Ash

The only way i could get it in the pot was to do that as it has a thick root. Should i take it out of the bonsai pot for training?

OK - a one sided root makes it somewhat more difficult. In this case I would plant it in a wider pot so that new roots can grow on the RHS of the trunk. A training pot doesn't have to be an ugly old coolite box or plastic tub - it can be a larger bonsai pot. In this case all you need is width. The rest I would leave as is to develop, no major pruning for now, just let it grow, thicken and mature and do some more decisive prunes later down the track. Ash

What about developing it as a cascade style? Not sure this would suit a melaleuca though.