privet advice

[matty-j]

hey everyone

i picked this corky bark privet at ray nesci on the weekend
this is my first privet and just wanted some styling and branch selection advice

i have removed the 2 thin branches that have suckered up from the bottom on the right hand side
but i'm wondering if leaving the thick branch coming from the lower left hand side should be kept or removed
i was thinking i would keep it and use it as the lowest branch and pad
what do you think?
any advice is much appreciated
i only have the one photo at the moment ill post more soon
thanks everyone

IMG_2169.jpg

cheers
matt

[lackhand]

Love the tree, that should make a really nice bonsai in a few years.

It looks like something I'd like to keep, but I've never worked on a privet before, so I can't say how successful the bending would be. It's a bit vertical at the moment.

Cheers!

[LLK]

That's a nice bit of bonsai material you have there, matt! Apart from Chinese elm, privet must be the easiest tree to grow. In your place I wouldn't keep that lowest branch, which is too thick to bend and not thick enough to become a feature of the tree. Also, wounds take a fair while to heal, so I'd say: remove it now, since you will need quite a few years to develop the main branching and create a taper. That way all the structural work gets done together, in one go.
Some people would go in for an almighty shari on that big trunk, but I'm not one of them, since privet wood rots easily and it's best to make the structural work your priority. You'll get masses of side shoots and runners and it will be quite a job to work out what needs keeping and what should be removed. Wire when the branches are still supple, they tend to snap off easily if you wait too long, and prune back regularly! They love a few good doses of fertiliser during the main growing period in Spring. They are thirsty trees, so it pays to keep an eye on them in dry and windy weather.

Have fun!

Lisa