Advice in second year after a garden centre privet has been transformed

[boratjan]

Hey guys our spring has just started and I have a privet I bought last year. It was trimmed back drastically and reshaped also I cut off all but one of the trunks as seen in the first picture. The scars are healing. What I would like to know is which direction to go now to get it to a propper tree. Do I make it wider, higher shorter ect. Annd then shaping. Please any advice will be appriciated.

Jan

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[Bonsai Nut]

Well Jan, the question you are asking is a little like being a painter and asking "I have a blank canvas, what should I do with it?"

Sometimes the tree will itself suggest a certain style or form. Sometimes you as the artist will have a vision for the tree that you want the tree to grow into. Practicing bonsai combines both approaches.

When I look at your tree, to me it suggests a pretty straight-forward informal upright shape. You will want to develop the tree's branches and work on the roots (to eliminate the roots sticking up in the air and give the tree a more anchored feeling). It would help to know what part of the country you live in because drastic work is best left for the Spring. Right now many trees will be settling in for the Fall and Winter and you really only want to do light work, particularly if you already repotted this year.

 

[boratjan]

I am from South Africa our spring has only just started this month

 

[Poink88]

You did a good job with your initial cuts.

If this is mine, I'd remove the thin wires for now...looks like they are not doing anything. Come spring, I would clip most of the secondary branches down to 1"-2" and let it bud back and keep repeating to build ramification. Maybe remove the lowest branch to the right.

The roots are problematic and need to be addressed. You can pull them down with a guy wire through the pot holes. There are other methods but you might have to step back and repot to a deeper pot if need be.

Good luck!