AusBonsai

Any assistance to train this tree. It really is growing fast.

They are pretty hardy. Your tree is very young. I wouldn't worry about styling at this point, but rather just thickening the trunk. In other words just allow it to grow long and strong.

Eventually as it gets much older you can start to style it so that that branches come up and out, and it will then naturally weep with the pendulous branching around the sides.

The easiest way to train these is clip-and-grow, as they are hardy and give a lovely look when clip-and-grown. Of course wiring will give better options if you want it curved certain ways. But basically they grow up and over each branch, so as the new growth appears it usually grows up by a few shoots, then weeps, then up by a few shoots then weeps, etc etc. They often end up with a sort of constant stepping-up look to it.

EDIT:

Here are some pics from google:
In my opinion they look best styled like a Weeping willow.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=bons ... 00&bih=799

Hi Hawkeyes, if you want to put any shape into the trunk do it now as they are brittle once the branches/trunk has harden off. If you leave it, it will be too late.
Cheers
Kirky

KIRKY wrote:Hi Hawkeyes, if you want to put any shape into the trunk do it now as they are brittle once the branches/trunk has harden off. If you leave it, it will be too late.
Cheers
Kirky

Yes that is fair enough, they do harden quickly. Good pickup Kirky. Sorry I forgot to mention it....because I don't wire mine I just clip-and-grow and didn't think of it. Keep in mind the growth has a tendency to twirl around, so if you put strong bends in the base it might look like a coil as it gets bigger. Just make sure its coming out of the soil at the angle you want. If you are happy with the thickness of the first 10cm of the trunk then yes, probably shape it now as Kirky says, otherwise just continue to fatten the trunk.

I made the mistake of putting strong bends in mine early on, and then it just kept growing like a snake with rheumatoid arthritis. It just looked ridiculous, so I had to cut right back and start again.

If you want to grow a trunk up then you have to wire it to hold shape.
Even young growth is brittle so bends can only be gradual unless you want to wire the very new shoots. If so then cage wire them as once wire cuts in you will never lose the marks left

Ken

Thanks for your help, soooooooooo, do I just do nothing now? or do I trim some off the height. When you mention clip and grow, do I trim off each branch? or just let it keep on growing taller. This tree has really taken off.

First shape the trunk. Then see what branches you want to keep. All I did with mind is as it grew I position thelittle branches left, right, back, side etc... As it grew it droops and slowly grows taller. Once it it too long hanging down past the potI would trim. Its you tree have fun with it.
Cheers
Kiky

Thank you fellow members.

Hi Hawkeye, I'm interested to see how your howittii is progressing, weather you wired or used clip and grow, mine is about the same age as yours which I've wired. It gets hard trying to see where it's going because of all the foliage so I've pruned branches off. I think the better way to have gone would have been if i had drawn what i wanted, then, using strong wire, copied what I'd drawn giving you a 3D image. The leader can then be trained up the frame held by say a loose rubber band, string. In no time would you reach your desired height because unwanted branches are removed. The loose rubber band hopefully won't leave scaring as forgotten wire would. Then it's just a matter of growing on. It might have merit, i don't know. Call me mad, i don't mind

regards
Max