Help with a Neem tree I collected

bajangerry

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Hi Guys,

I collected what I thought must have been a dead Neem tree as it had no leaves at the time. It had been cut back numerous time on the side of a path and to my surprise after I potted it it has sprung to life so I am now wondering what I should do with it. As you can see from the pictures it has been quite badly cut up and also attacked by termites at one stage but I love the character of the plant so want to turn it into a nice bonsai and am looking for any advise on how to get there as I am new to this. Seems like every couple of days some new growth start to appear on the trunk like the one near the base of the tree.

Neem 1.jpgNeem 2.jpg
 

Shibui

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Not sure whether Neem is Melia azedarach or Azadirachta indica. Both are invasive down here and hard to kill so I'm not surprised to see you've transplanted easily.

In most cases we need to leave collected trees to grow and re-establish new roots before doing much training.
You also cannot do much pruning until the new shoots have grown a bit more.
The only thing I'd be thinking about is wiring to establish the angles of any shoots that look like they might make good branches.

It is a good idea to add a location to your profile so others can see what part of the world you are in. Location can have a major influence on what can be dome and when.
 

bajangerry

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Hi Shibul,

Thank you for your response, I will leave the tree alone for a while longer to see where it wants to go by itself first.

I am in the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. This is what this plant is:

Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac,[3] and in Nigeria called dogoyaro or dogonyaro,[4][5] is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to the Indian subcontinent and most of the countries in Africa. It is typically grown in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Neem trees also grow on islands in southern Iran. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac,[3] and in Nigeria called dogoyaro or dogonyaro,[4][5] is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to the Indian subcontinent and most of the countries in Africa. It is typically grown in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Neem trees also grow on islands in southern Iran. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil.
Note that though people refer to Meliaceae as "mahogany family" it should not be confused with true mahogany trees, which are a specific genus within the family.
 

bajangerry

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Note that though people refer to Meliaceae as "mahogany family" it should not be confused with true mahogany trees, which are a specific genus within the family.
Thanks, I know this from before. Is swietenia mahogany a good choice for Bonsai? I have a couple of saplings in some pots as well but they are really slow growers. The Neem grows much faster.
 
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Bonsai Nut

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Thanks, I know this from before. Is swietenia mahogany a good choice for Bonsai? I have a couple of saplings in some pots as well but they are really slow growers. The Neem grows much faster.
Though the wood is certainly beautiful, any tree with compound leaves is going to be challenging. S. mahagoni is a Florida native, surprisingly, though almost all the commercial grade lumber came from Cuba, and exports ended in the 1950's with the revolution.

mahogany-genus.jpg
 

bajangerry

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Can you explain what makes compound leaf trees challenging? I am brand new to this so excuse my questions if the are basic.
 
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