Newbie looking for some help - ligustrum

[DanielJSLeach]

Dear all,

I am a fairly new bonsai enthusiast with a 12/14 year old ligustrum. It was given to me around 4 or 5 months ago. All was going well until a few weeks ago when leaves started falling off and the ones that didn’t had black spots, looked frail, wrinkled and some even had some white/grey marks on them. I keep my bonsai usually indoors in a pretty warm and humid environment (currently living in Milan). Since I have it, all the growth is particularly fast with branches popping out the soil and growing 40-50 cms in just a few ( three to five weeks ) so I was wandering if this accelerated growth could have weekend the plant.
I had a few questions and would be very grateful if one of you could enlighten me on the subject

How to solve my problem with the disease? (i have started using fungicide (spray) but am pretty clueless about how many times to apply, how to do so, etc…)
What is the best way to trim these bonsais? By the means of scissors or by plucking, what are the effects of these two different methods.
Are there any specific ways I could prepare the plant for the winter seasons?
When should I repot and how can I know if the roots are rotting?
The best tools to cut branches?
And is it indispensable to wire down the bonsai to the soil?

Thank you in advance!

Here is a picture of the bonsai :

 

[sorce]

Hey Daniel.

It looks like those shoots have internodes that are like a foot long. You really should have it outside. This is a very nice tree. Don't wanna see it die on you.

Please define "mostly" indoors.

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Those long intern odes are probably from lack of light from being inside. You see it in other plants that need more light. Like when you try to grow a tomato plant in a window. They stretch way out in an effort to reach the light then eventually fall over. I believe it's called etoliation. I would get it outside more often.

 

[jk_lewis]

Ligustrum should be outside throughout the year and brought indoors only for a few days' display.

This tree undoubtedly will do better when it gets sunlight.

With Ligustrum you shape it primarily by pruning selected branches. this tee could stand to be shortened by about 1/3. Wiring is difficult as the branches have a VERY long "memory" and tend to spring back to their original shape even after being wired to the point that the ire is cutting into the bark.

I can't see what kind of soil it is in, but Ligustrum prefer to be in soil that drains rapidly and stays fairly dry.

 

[sorce]

I agree. The right side could come down to those first two branches
..really powerful tree in there.!

Sorce

 

[DanielJSLeach]

Hey guys,
Thanks a lot for those immediate answers, it is now outside on my balcony ledge and is already looking better

As for the disease, the leaves look old, are shrivelled and wrinkled and fall off easily, stroking a branch and its leaves will make a few of the latter fall off... I am not too sure what to do. I read somewhere that it could be due to fungi and insects feeding off the roots?

@jkl, when you say shortened by 1/3, do you mean the height of the trunk, branches (?) or the overall aspect (so height + width) ? Is this done by cutting back the branches?

Thanks again for your help

 

[jk_lewis]

Overall shortening

 

[sorce]

If it was inside long, its probly not a disease. Except maybe indooritus.

Virt of many skills! Id go down to here.

 

[DanielJSLeach]

Nice pic

But if I shorten it to that extent, will it ever grow upwards again? Whats the real point of shortening it that much? (apart from aesthetics)

Thank you so much

 

[Dirty Nails]

It is all about aesthethics. Cutting it back that much makes it seem much older and more powerful. What you have now is nice and not "wrong" it just seems younger and more feminine.

 

[sorce]

In that particular branch. Taper.

To me, the only thing we really exaggerate to make a convincing look is taper.

That said, it is extremely important.

Without taper one can find a tree to look old. (Mind tricks tree)

With taper, the tree looks old. (Tree tricks mind)

Like dirty said, what you have is not wrong, but shorter, more powerful, it will trick the mind better IMO.

It will grow wherever you allow it to! That is kind of the most wonderful part of this growing art!

Sorce

 

[DanielJSLeach]

Hello hello,

I will start as soon as I find a final design that I can then use to cut/train/prune the tree.

I was thinking of something such as the picture I have attached below, would it be possible to successfully "bend" the trunk and the main branch coming out the left ?

Thanks again

 

[DanielJSLeach]

Any thoughts??

 

[sorce]

I have never worked with them.

But ANYTHING is possible.

Sorce

 

[Skinnygoomba]

I'm rather green, but is it not worth waiting until the tree is back in good health?

Also, I would not do anything drastic until you get a good idea of what to do in general.