AusBonsai

Hi All,

I just picked up this Melaleuca and thought I'd put it out there for some advice. It's quite bushy and was very root bound. I'm hoping I've done the right thing and re-potted it into a larger pot and trimmed back some of the larger roots to allow it to fit in a shallower pot in the future.

Any one want to offer some thoughts on where I should start tidying this up? There's only one decent branch down low but I think it might be too low to use as the first branch. I was thinking about a Broom style but have never done one of these. There is very little (no) moment in the main trunk.

I'm completely open to suggestions.....

Cheers,
Rick

Mate nise find, i would probably cut this one in half, just my worth

Mick

Duckbed, do you know what species it is? it looks like M, preissiana this is a WA plant, or M,bracteata which is an Eastern state species. The bark looks like an immature preissiana,where did you buy it from?

Cheers Pup

I picked it up at Wannaroo. I asked the Species and he didn't know..

Based on Where i got it It's probably Western Australian. Would some leaf photos help?

Cheers
Rick

Handy Mick wrote:i would probably cut this one in half. Mick

I was thinking along the same line initially.

I thought I could do an Air layer to maybe get the top section

Hi Rick, some pics of the leaves would really help for a positive ID,, cheers mate

Craig wrote:Hi Rick, some pics of the leaves would really help for a positive ID,, cheers mate

Will post these in the morning when I have some sun shine......

Hi Rick

Regardless of species, I would cut it down to about a third of its height. You may choose to air layer the top, but that is where I would start development of this tree as it loses taper at that point and has plenty of nice branches to work with, and will grow plenty more.

Best Regards

Tony

The only photo I could get is this... I'll need to use the other Camera to get a better one when time permits. From what I can see and looking on google I'm pretty sure that Pup's first pick was right. It looks like a M, preissiana.

Cheers,
Rick

Duckbed wrote:The only photo I could get is this... I'll need to use the other Camera to get a better one when time permits. From what I can see and looking on google I'm pretty sure that Pup's first pick was right. It looks like a M, preissiana.

Cheers,
Rick

Looking at the leaves it could also be M, alternifolia, but again the bark is not quite right. It also looks very much like M, Linariifolia.
I think it will be a case of waiting for the flowers, but even then as so many of them are white.

Best jus Melaleuca Spp that way no one can say you are wrong.

Cheers Pup

Tony Bebb wrote:Regardless of species, I would cut it down to about a third of its height. You may choose to air layer the top, but that is where I would start development of this tree as it loses taper at that point and has plenty of nice branches to work with, and will grow plenty more.

Gday Rick, Tony & Co!

Going only by the photos, my first preference (thick red line) would be to cut just above the first branch. This option gives you the maximum possible taper and lowest trunk movement. Failing that, my second preference (thin red line) would be to chop just above the second and third branches, also giving you the beginnings of a nice informal upright tree.
At some stage (Spring, maybe) you may want to change the planting angle, so that the trunk is not leaving the soil vertically. Next Spring is also probably the best time for you to get right into the root ball and see what is going on: the sooner you take control of the nebari, the sooner you'll have convincing Bonsai.

I am a big fan of air-layering, and I always consider setting a layer instead of simply chopping.

Thanks, and good luck!

FlyBri.

Thanks FlyBri, I wasn't thinking quite that aggressively with the reduction but you have me thinking now.

If I cut it that low should i just plant it in a grow box or in the ground when it starts to warm up to give it a chance to develop the lower branches?

Cheers,
Rick

Rick, i'd go the same direction as fly, but i'd also consider a little higher than he has, hard call without seeing the stock, i wouldn't even worry about repotting yet ,

Thanks everyone.... Time to get the trimmers .....