AusBonsai

I bought this little Leptospermum as rootbound tubestock, it was chopped top & bottom, potted up & left to grow. About 2yrs ago I gave it a hard prune & since then have been pinching the new growth anytime I felt the need to prune something Every couple of months I take the scissors to the pads to flatten them out, otherwise it hasn't had alot of direction. A couple of weeks ago I uncovered the nebari to see what it looked like and really like its curve. Now I need to get serious about the top to match it.

I am really keen to hear others thoughts, ideas and suggestions for this bit of fun that thinks it could make something more.

Matt

Yeah dont know Matt, The straight bits between the branches let it down. Very quick to change direction which makes it very angular and abrupt. Maybe a good candidate to layer off the tree above the first branch and go from there. Sorry, very unhelpful i know.

Love the lowest part of the trunk but the long straight bits fight with it.

Maybe chop and make a mame sized tree from the base?

Ken

Its really not worth the time & effort to layer, it either finds its way as is or gets the big Chop back to the first branch. Any better? Only repositioned the trunk for now, I heard a few cracks as I bent so will give it a few weeks to see what lives or dies before I do any more bending.

Look at that moss :O radioactive.

That works Matt
I did not think it will bend as they are Brittle as Buggery, but you proved wrong eh !

Ken

One more little tweak... a new pot and now she can rest.

VelvetSicklid wrote:Look at that moss :O radioactive.

I kept it in the old pot for you

kcpoole wrote:That works Matt
I did not think it will bend as they are Brittle as Buggery, but you proved wrong eh !

Ken

Thanks Ken,
It is double coiled with jute then a double strand of 2mm copper wire, showing my terrible wiring technique I heard more than a few creaks and a couple of snaps even tho the wood is at most 5mm thick, its wait & see time now. I know it will kick back double hard for being repotted so now its just a waiting game to know how much damage I did.

Matt

Now..thats better. Betcha that was fun

before I saw it wired I was going to say you should look at bending the trunk but then I scrolled down. nice one.

Cheers Bodhi & Damian, It was a hell of a lot of fun, the little tree that could
I think we get too serious about our art sometimes & lately I have been rediscovering the fun side.
I have a few more fun trees that will show up soon enough now they are starting to get some attention

Matt

Quick update... One of the things I love most about working with Lepto's is you dont have to wait long to know if you stuffed it up. The branch at the apex has died, but the rest, including the one past it on the end of the original trunkline, are already throwing new growth

This baby has responded so well it was time for some tweaking. The 2 branches were wrapped in jute, bent by hand then tied in position then pruned. The bends in the trunk were compressed a bit more bringing the remaining growth in, I left it unpruned until I am sure it survived the tweak.

Hard to tell, but i prefer the old front Matt,

Nice work Matt, You may have had fun, but the poor tree . I have 5 lepto's and they are fast becoming one of my favourite species. Do you know what kind of lepto it is.
All of mine have been collected from under powerlines in S.E NSW and I believe they are "Leptospermum Brevipes" The foliage looks very similar to yours but much more red/burgundy. Looking good mate, would love to here how it comes out. Keep us posted.

regards

Steve W