@defra
It ought to make into outstanding bonsai.
It appears to be easy to find in the UK, but rare here in the U.S. I've often wondered why
@barrosinc hasn't been showing us his instead of coveting the standard northern hemisphere species - Santiago is is bit warm compared to it's Patagonia-like natural habitat?
At any rate, chop that guy down and root cuttings or air layer it to get there. In addition to the small leaves, the dark bark is very striking (isn't it?). I cannot get anything even close to the size tree you have. I have a cutting of a prostrate variety - I'm thinking mame/shohin because the leaves are so small (now I just need at least 10 years
- you might be there in 5, you lucky dog
).
Next spring you can experiment with a few branches to determine some important response characteristics. Recall that branches are largely independent. After the spring foliage has hardened (circa May)
- decapitate a branch (prune the end away)
- most species will respond by releasing the most distal buds --> new shoots
- defoliate and keep the most distal leaves (i.e., don't cut the terminal)
- many, but not all, species will just make more leaves
- some, such as boxwood and satsuki azaleas will produce new shoots
- defoliate and decapitate
- cut back below the last visible bud
- this may be silly strongly nodal trees like acer palmatum if there is no node left on the branch (this is intended to see how strongly it will respond to 'chopping', but there must be a node left quite likely has no visible buds).
If you choose to air layer it, these experiments could be carried out on a few branches at the top without adverse effects. So in one season, you would become an expert as well as have a start on the bonsai of the low trunk and a layered specimen, to boot.
