Kunzea Semi-cascade Group

Ryceman3 · Post by **Ryceman3** » January 9th, 2020, 6:41 am

Just had a look back at the rest of this thread and I can see why the little guy has moved in... things are developing nicely! Lots of thickening up going on which is good. That’s the thing with posting here, it’s easy to track development and see how things are progressing. I don’t think you’ll have too many problems with the repot, sometimes it’s nice just to get stuff out of the grow containers... it keeps you motivated. Definitely is moving more in a windswept direction as opposed to semi cascade, but either way I like it!

MJL · Post by **MJL** » April 5th, 2020, 10:46 am

The new growth in the 3 months since the repotting is pretty amazing! Believe it or not I also took the garden sheers to this group between now and the re-pot too!

I am getting into the cadence of a shear, clip and grow approach! I shear to push growth and ramification, I trim to shape in ‘traditional’ bonsai clip and grow manner.

The wiring on the main trunks helps movement but... I am learning and unfortunately.... I am not sure I’ll ever get the beautiful unification/flow of trunk to branching like you see in some of Sno and Boom’s trees.

It’s heading in the right direction and an absolute joy to tend. In fact, I was so absorbed this morning I lost 90+minutes and wondered why I was so cold... I was standing in the melbourne rain ... lost in my forest!! Here’s a few pics -3 months on from the last. The bottom photo shows how it’s too ‘manufactured’ but hopefully I can work that out of it over time.... we’ll see.

PS - John, I ended up not wiring the branches - I am going to try and clip ‘n’ grow.... mostly because I am somewhat lazy!!

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Raging Bull · Post by **Raging Bull** » April 5th, 2020, 11:23 am

Hi Mark,
A fine looking group. The last pic where you say they look too manufactured only looks like that because of the angle its taken at. In the third last pic, where the wire is still on, the view is from what is probably closer to a normal viewing angle and the group looks very natural. Keep doing what you're doing, because

it's working.
Cheers, Frank.

Keep Calm and Ramify · April 5th, 2020, 12:37 pm

It's coming along really well MJ. Time is all you need. Don't stress - keep calm.

boom64 · Post by **boom64** » April 5th, 2020, 6:00 pm

Hi Mark ,improving with every post .A bit of weight in the trunks will change everything ,like K.C.R. mentioned all you need is time. Keep up the good work .Cheers John.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » August 30th, 2020, 3:45 pm

A reasonably aggressive haircut for this group today .... allowing it to go nuts as spring arrives. The underside photos are starting to point to a really interesting future.

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MJL · Post by **MJL** » December 20th, 2020, 4:40 pm

I really enjoy looking after this group. On advice from someone (GavinG) from memory - in another thread, I am treating each tree as part of the group but concentrating more on each apex, each discrete tree. Still messy and quite hard to photograph ...
But low and steady. Also, I forgot to take a ‘before’ shot but it just had another massive haircut!

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boom64 · Post by **boom64** » December 20th, 2020, 9:11 pm

Very cool Mark ,love the Messy look... John.

Raging Bull · Post by **Raging Bull** » December 20th, 2020, 9:44 pm

The group's definitely improving, becoming more coherent. Keep it up, looking good.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » February 13th, 2021, 9:58 am

A lockdown trim...
Took over 1 hour ....

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Max · Post by **Max** » February 13th, 2021, 12:25 pm

Has it ever flowered MJL? I have had one in the same pot, for about 4 years so it's about 6 years old and never flowered, and am scared to touch the roots. It's in a 250mm deep pot. It's at the stage where I need to get into a bonsai pot, so I can continue it's refinement. I've been told to sit it in water for 3 weeks. Whether this must allow the tree to allow the submerged roots to rot, forcing the upper roots to do their work, making it safer to remove the lower roots. I don't know. What I do know is, I'd be shattered if it died.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » February 14th, 2021, 5:58 am

Hi Max,

Thanks for your question.

In relation to flowers, no not yet. As this thread has shown, this group grows vigorously but I trim them pretty hard too-a couple of times per year; perhaps I am trimming developing flowers buds off? Not sure.

In relation to repotting, you can see back in this thread that I repotted in January last year (2020) and the trees did not miss a beat. My sense is that now would be a good time to have a crack at yours - if it is healthy. In my experience it is always less dangerous to repot healthy trees.

I get your concern over repotting too but of all my natives - these seems the most robust; perhaps go easy - and only slight downsize your pot.

Good luck and I hope you’re young tree survives.

And of course, I’ll add my caveat - I am still very much learning - more experienced growers might chime in with more sage advice.

Cheers,

Mark

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MJL · Post by **MJL** » October 31st, 2021, 7:41 am

Just a quick update on this group. It was going to be in the NATURAL comp but I pulled it out for a reason that escapes me now.

Anyway … it is coming along … a vigorous grower - I had a growth set back recently when I was late to catch what a think were ‘webbing caterpillars’ and nearly lost a few branches. Alas - it is bouncing back.

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Keep Calm and Ramify · October 31st, 2021, 6:41 pm

This has got a nice looking flow to it MJ.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » December 18th, 2021, 9:09 am

Another six weeks - another trim! These group plantings are mind bending and time consuming!

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