Leptospermum petersonii advice on training

[hawkeyes]

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This has been in a colander pot in the garden for approx. 5 months, I have not trimmed this at all, just a bit of wire for training, but do you think I should do some refinement and pruning. (is this the correct month). The base of the trunk seems to be shooting also(last picture). Should these be cut off. I would like someone to pick out a branch as a sacrificial branch to help thicken the base. Any of your expert ideas would be helpful.

[shibui]

I think it is a bit early to be picking winners or sacrifice branches for this tree Hawkeyes. I see you have wired the trunk which is great so you must have some idea what you want to grow.

at this early stage I just let everything grow. I know that L.petersonii will sprout new shoots from old wood so it does not matter how big it gets or how long the trunk or branches grow. You can always cut back and be pretty sure of new shoots.
You can leave any of the lower shoots as sacrifice shoots. the more you leave the more it will thicken and more shoots means they will each be just a bit smaller when you cut them so smaller pruning scars , even if there are more of them. Just cut any that are on the front (if you can pick it yet) earlier so the scars heal even quicker. I'd even leave the basal shoots because they will also help thicken the lower trunk.
Down here they don't like the winter but up there you should not have any problems with frost so prune any time of year - whenever you need to.

[hawkeyes]

Shibui, thank you for your response. Would it be OK just to trim off each branch a little, or just leave it and put it back in the garden, as is?

[kcpoole]

I would leave it as it is and replant until the trunk is the size you like.
You can cut back while in the ground, but that will slow it up a little each time

Ken

[shibui]

What you should do depends what you want from this tree.
If you are happy with a skinny trunk then you can start trimming the branches and build up ramification but the tree will be skinny for a long time.
If you want to develop a bonsai that has very few scars you should start trimming now but it will be quite a few years until the tree reaches a desirable thickness.
If you want a thicker trunk in a few years you should let it grow freely for a few more years with maybe occasional hard cuts to get some taper and changes of direction in the trunk. In a couple of years you should get a nice trunk and maybe the start of some branching.

Those are the choices I can see. It is up to you to decide.

[hawkeyes]

Thanks Shibui and Ken, good advice.

[maple]

Hi Neil,
I have 2 petersonii I have been growing for 12+months and found they will not bud back on old wood.
1 is 5~ years old and the the other about 12.
They have not budded back with general styling and trimming and I had been hoping for budding to increase branching but there has been nothing.
Are you suggesting they will bud on old wood after severe cut back?

[treeman]

As shibui says they don't like the cold. I have one only and it is JUST beginning to stir. I would only cut these back hard during summer in Victoria and only if it is vigorous.

[GavinG]

Work out whether you want to thicken the trunk or refine the branches.

For thickening, leave only a few shoots, that you let grow long - that gets the thickness. Lots of shoots won't thicken anything much. I wouldn't trust a leapt to bud back unless you know the tree well, so cut your long shoots back to the last few leaves every year, otherwise you may be left with long spindly leafless stuff.

For refining branches, yes, cut them back to the last few leaves about now.

Make up your mind what stage you are at with this tree.

Good luck,

Gavin

[shibui]

They have not budded back with general styling and trimming and I had been hoping for budding to increase branching but there has been nothing.
Are you suggesting they will bud on old wood after severe cut back?

There are lots of species that do not produce buds on older wood under normal conditions but will bud well when forced to. Wisteria is one that comes to mind - while just pruning some areas I had no back budding but when all the top growth was removed it budded all over the trunk.
The new shoots on the base of Hawkeyes' plant indicate that it can produce buds on older wood. I maintain a hedge of L.petersonii which gets badly burnt on top every winter but grows new shoots in spring to replace the dead bits so I'm pretty sure they should back bud.
Note that I do not have any as bonsai because the frost here kills them each winter so I do not claim to be an expert on this species

[hawkeyes]

Thank you Gavin and Shibui. Good advice there.