AusBonsai

I'm an eternal optimist KC&R and this is savable. Where there are borers I put a very thin piece of wire in the hole and as a follow up treatment I squirt a small amount of super glue in the hole. With this method I have had a relative high success rate. It is about constant observation and action though. You can also treat the deadwood with superglue a week or so after treating with lime sulphur. That is a real wood hardener!
Looks good now though.

Thanks Watto,
It’s strange that this plant went downhill really fast – but still wasn’t finished off by it’s “squatters”.
It’s almost like the crawly’s know they’re on [or in] a good thing, & not willing to completely kill off their abode?
I think I shall take your advice & and have another go at a swift eviction!

Hopefully it keeps hanging on for you
It is my understanding that Privet although a hardy weed in the garden. As bonsai they prefer a deeper pot. So perhaps a pot too shallow may have started its woeful tale?
Cheers
Kirky

I hope you can save it. I just went back to the start of this thread and that was/is one hell of a ripper tree! I hope the combination of wire, superglue, a deeper pot and all the other kind words of advice pay off. Good luck!


Bonsai teaches me patience.

Keep Calm and Ramify wrote:So this thread should probably now be re-titled to “Goodbye there common privet”.
It’s time to say goodbye…..such is life.

It seems both of us have agreed to start again...caught in a bad romance?

They're tough little buggers!

I think your caught in a love hate relaitionship with yhis one, looks like all is forgiven for the moment
I'm having a similar relationship with a Willow leaf.
Chhers
Kirky

hard to kill a weed! even if its being used for bonsai haha. Great to see the transformation, Im sure you will create something amazing with it.

Just a comment on letting a privet produce flowers: make sure you trim the tree back after flowering - certainly before the berries turn dark blue/black - because the currawongs love the berries and they spread feral privets all over the countryside with their droppings. Small leaf privet make great bonsai, but it is officially a weed. As far as I know, nurseries are not allowed to stock them these days. All of my privet bonsai began life with the help of local currawongs.

The flowers grow on new season growth, so if you do early season trimming you will remove most or all of the flower buds (my recommended approach).

Hey Phil,
Thanks for the advice on prevention of privet spread - I don't see many currawongs where I live, but I know the berries are a tasty treat for many other birds as well - I mainly get Indian Myna's Ughhh!!
As an update to this thread my privet has been growing well & earlier this year it was combined with another I had.

Phil Rabl wrote: ↑November 23rd, 2019, 1:51 pm All of my privet bonsai began life with the help of local currawongs.

Would love to some pics of your privet bonsai (or anyone else who's willing) if you feel comfortable showing?
If not....then Keep calm and ramify till next time

here in North Is, NZ, these are a pest plant - any reproduction by cutting etc is verboten though they aren't REQUIRED to be eliminated. But we like them for bonsai because they are tough little buggers, and can usually dig them up from farms etc. I got mine from council land - before they came to destroy it (it had been cut back several times already).
The pollen is a high allergen, and causes all sorts of hayfever problems, so we usually trim all the flowers off before they burst open [2-3 times over spring-autumn]