AusBonsai

I dug out this melaleuka from my garden end of 2012...I grew it from a cutting and the roots escaped from the packet and it grew tall, fat and straight. Initially was not intended as bonsai material.


I just cut it off across the roots and did not bare root it. It started growing very well.

After some time it started loosing branches. I am not sure if the root mass was too compacted, or the pot too small, or it was not watered properly...but one after the other branches dried.

Soon after that I Thransfered it in a bit bigger pot and carved the top.



It continued to grow and branches dried again. I am not sure the reasons exactly.

April 2913 I decided to air layer it. Cut the ring on the trunk with the grinder...the bark was too thick and hard to remove.I use just sand for all my airlayers. Dont have moss here.
February I removed the airlayer, and remained with a funny looking stump on the lower half...Planted it in the ground by burring the pot half way in the ground after making big holes at the bottom.

The airlayer had just too much roots. I rubbed the bottom with sulfur, and planted it.


I use wood glue or contact adhesive to seal large cuts.

The sealed cut.
A friend from SA told me that he had the same problem with his mels...He was advised to put a tray with water under. I did the same and my mel for now looks happy.

So the progress so far is from this

Tho this

In 18 month.
I think it was a mistake to carve it so much slanting but there is not much I can do at this point.
What remains for the future is to do some more carving, wire the branches and start styling...but that I left for spring time, after I am sure it is recovered and established well.
Any advise will be appreciated.

For me bonsai is supposed to be an art... a creation of ones imagination. Though I style some trees in natural style...I like to try crazy things. . Everything goes, and abstract designs or out of the box designs is what I am striving now for.
So this one because of the dead wood I want to style like juniper. Not too sure how it will look but I intend to try.
What do you think?

Neli wrote:For me bonsai is supposed to be an art... a creation of ones imagination. Though I style some trees in natural style...I like to try crazy things. . Everything goes, and abstract designs or out of the box designs is what I am striving now for.
So this one because of the dead wood I want to style like juniper. Not too sure how it will look but I intend to try.
What do you think?

Sometimes we get caught up by the "rules" of bonsai and forget our creative nature. Not all trees look the same so to style a particular variety all the same way is not natural either. I like we're you are going with this tree. Great improvement.

Josh.

I think the top needs reducing somewhat but nice.
No reason why you cannot carve a Mel. Many here get burnt in fires and have deadwood on them.

Ken

Congratulations Neli, on your persistence with this tree.
It's been a struggle but it looks like you may have it licked this time.
Will watch it's further progression with interest.
Cheers.........Brian

I think carving if fine on mels, I just don't think they are suited to the white deadwood, but more of a darker natural colour, or burnt and black (melaleuca does mean 'black and white' after all )

I think its coming along nicely Neli, the carving looks very cool

I keep my mels in gravel trays - that way you have the benefit of the water and roots escaping but not the mosquitoes. Even though they don't have to stay in water it is very beneficial - especially after a repot. Since this tip was passed on to me I have not lost a mel after a very bad run with them.

Josh wrote:

Neli wrote:For me bonsai is supposed to be an art... a creation of ones imagination. Though I style some trees in natural style...I like to try crazy things. . Everything goes, and abstract designs or out of the box designs is what I am striving now for.
So this one because of the dead wood I want to style like juniper. Not too sure how it will look but I intend to try.
What do you think?

Sometimes we get caught up by the "rules" of bonsai and forget our creative nature. Not all trees look the same so to style a particular variety all the same way is not natural either. I like we're you are going with this tree. Great improvement.

Josh.

Josh I love this ramblings of Robert Steven"
My work is a reflection of my personal feelings and attitude. In making bonsai, I am not too concerned with the final destination, but rather with the joyful process. I enjoy the slow process of revealing the character and identity of the tree — a process that brings my life into parallel with the tree’s life journey. This sort of endeavor is more of an active meditative process and the cultivation of a soulful relationship with the artistic medium, instead of simply a superficial exploration of the medium. The communication between my medium and me may not take place with verbal communication, but there is an echo of understanding, nonetheless.
He is a person that really does things out of the box. In some of his publications he says that he is not trying to invent a new style...but for me he has...

kcpoole wrote:I think the top needs reducing somewhat but nice.
No reason why you cannot carve a Mel. Many here get burnt in fires and have deadwood on them.

Ken

Yes Ken I agree with you...but I want to style it first...if I do it in the taditional Japanese style...most of the jin might not be seen later...so I want to see it first before I carve it lower.

Bougy Fan wrote:I keep my mels in gravel trays - that way you have the benefit of the water and roots escaping but not the mosquitoes. Even though they don't have to stay in water it is very beneficial - especially after a repot. Since this tip was passed on to me I have not lost a mel after a very bad run with them.

I have some mame in gravel trays...they are filled daily with water, and I found some huge worms inside. You might be surprised how little water a mosquito needs to breed.
I add little bit of poison in the water.

Jason wrote:I think carving if fine on mels, I just don't think they are suited to the white deadwood, but more of a darker natural colour, or burnt and black (melaleuca does mean 'black and white' after all )

I think its coming along nicely Neli, the carving looks very cool

Josh after carving the dead wood I covered it with potassium permanganate...it went brown, but a week later bleached to this some what natural color and I like it. It was too white at first.