Ligustrum anyone? Post Photos or Experience

[drew33998]

I collected this out of a hedgerow. Lots of work. Glad to see it shot out new growth all over even though I had to collect it in the middle of summer. I actually collected 9 but used most of them for a hedgerow of my own. I will say these plants are super hardy. I left on out of the soil for almost two weeks (at mom's) and it was not only alive but shooting new shoots all over in the summer heat here in Jax,Fl.

 

[PaulH]

They come up from seed all over my yard. I dug this one a few years ago. It will be shown for the first time at the Golden State Bonsai Federation Convention exhibit next week. I don't have a current picture but its now in a green/brown Sara Rayner pot.

 

[drew33998]

Nice. How long does it take the branches to set after wiring? I have heard they can be a pain. I am at the observation point, where I am looing at the tree from all sides to determine my plan of attack. Initially I thought a sort of broom. Some heavy branches up higher in the tree I will need to deal with.

 

[PaulH]

Branches set easily but due to the fast growth wire needs to be removed and re-applied frequently to avoid scarring.
Your tree has a nice base. I'd remove all but one of the heavy branches to continue the trunk and then develop the new shoots into primary branches.

 

[jk_lewis]

In Jay, Florida, you undoubtedly are working with L. chinensis. I did these in Tallahassee for years and in my experience it takes forever and a day (and some good Karma) to get a bend set permanently in a branch. I use clip nd grow almost exclusively.

 

[drew33998]

They come up from seed all over my yard. I dug this one a few years ago. It will be shown for the first time at the Golden State Bonsai Federation Convention exhibit next week. I don't have a current picture but its now in a green/brown Sara Rayner pot.

I like the movement I your trunk. I do have a section that has some good movement in it, but I will have to remove much of the tree as is to help create that movement, as there are some chunky straight section coming off of it. Jin and Shari on Ligustrum? Do they hold their deadwood? Or cut and grow sacrifices to try to heal the wounds? I did plan on chopping much of it off this next spring. One last thing. The section with the good movement is opposite from the widest trunk section. Which again can be solved with carving. It should be interesting observing it this winter and coming up with a plan. Thanks for the response.

 

[jk_lewis]

Do they hold their deadwood?

No! They most definitely do not.

 

[drew33998]

Pre-spring Work

Well I set forth to chopping and setting structure to this guy yesterday. Took me a while to figure out where I was going with it. I like the way it turned out. The last two pics don't show it but the tree has better movement from this angle. I have yet to decide if I am going to take the front sub-trunk/branch off. I figured I would keep it for now. The photos aren't the best. This one is just too big to move by myself right now.

 

[JoeR]

I am extremely excited to work on mine this spring. They grow like weeds! You need a bomb to destroy one here. One I have my eye on has natural deadwood that I am not sure what to do with but we shall see. The leaves reduce very well, but also get quite large on mature specimens. Another thing I have noted as well is that they develope a very good nebari in short time if they don't have a great one to begin with.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Drew, that looks like a good start. I have a couple nursery sticks I am going to plant in the ground this spring and I have a big hedge I cut back hard over the winter that I may dig up this spring or maybe next spring.

 

[drew33998]

Update. This one was cut back hard today. It grew well last season and I'm hoping a hard cut back may pop some buds in areas that I want them. Still not sure what to do with that straight sub trunk. Not even sure I know what the front is yet either. I do know that the side away from the widest base has better movement. Comments, critiques welcome.

 

[drew33998]

 

[drew33998]

 

[A Random User]

One I have that I am working on.

 

[drew33998]

View attachment 95481 View attachment 95482 View attachment 95483 View attachment 95484

One I have that I am working on.

Really nice one. I just got a pot to put it in next repot. Can you make some suggestions on the straight sub trunk if I use the front where it is noticable. Should I carve the top and bottom to induce some movement? Or one or the other? Or just chop it off altogether?

 

[Wilson]

Here is a small one I have, to keep some green around while I live through a Quebec winter!

 

[drew33998]

Just a lil update. Rough wire on the main branches. Gotta do something about that sub trunk to the right.

 

[drew33998]

 

[drew33998]

This one is going into a pot. Can I repot him now? Just itching to do something.

 

[Wilson]

This one is going into a pot. Can I repot him now? Just itching to do something.

Mine are treated as tropicals, and I can repot according to any schedule.