Too Big Bottlebrush Bonsai (Callistemon) - First Styling

[SockUnicorn]

 

[Crawforde]

Nice.
The house at the end of my street has some.
Does yours bloom yet?

 

[SockUnicorn]

Not yet. I repotted right when I got it because it was some super root bound nursery stock and recovery was a little slow and I had to fight pests. I'll post pictures when and if it does!

 

[Starfox]

Nice, plenty there to keep you busy.

 

[Shibui]

Callistemon are great for bonsai. Most species bud on old wood really readily so you can prune fearlessly if required. They can tolerate hard root pruning (in warmer weather).
Flowering as bonsai can be difficult. Callistemon flower at the tips of last years shoots but we prune regularly and cut off the flower embryos before they can grow. To enjoy flowers, treat Callistemon similar to Azalea - prune hard after flowering (or before mid summer) then allow subsequent shoots to stay until flowering time (spring/ early summer). The bonsai may look a little untidy for part of the year but flowers should be worth it.

This Callistemon is quite tall and thin. Maybe you will consider pruning the trunks a little more at some stage. Also consider leaving some deadwood. callistemon wood is soft and rots reasonably quick unless you treat regularly but dead wood is a regular part of many Aussie trees due to the harsh conditions down here so we are seeing more dead wood on our native plants now as Australian growers become more confident of Australian inspired styling.

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

Callistemon are great for bonsai.

This Callistemon is quite tall and thin. Maybe you will consider pruning the trunks a little more at some stage. Also consider leaving some deadwood. callistemon wood is soft and rots reasonably quick unless you treat regularly but dead wood is a regular part of many Aussie trees due to the harsh conditions down here so we are seeing more dead wood on our native plants now as Australian growers become more confident of Australian inspired styling.

Thanks for the input! I started carving already. Definitely leaving some deadwood. Leaving it tall for now, but we will see what the future holds.

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[Shibui]

Great job on the smaller trunk reduction. You should see masses of new shoots erupt over summer now. Get some treatment on that dead wood soon so it does not rot off too quick. Long jin matches the other trunk for now but maybe you'll be brave enough to reduce the main trunk sometime??????

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

Great job on the smaller trunk reduction. You should see masses of new shoots erupt over summer now. Get some treatment on that dead wood soon so it does not rot off too quick. Long jin matches the other trunk for now but maybe you'll be brave enough to reduce the main trunk sometime??????

Im definitely brave enough, I've chopped my fair share of my first few trees, but this tree is really giving me a weeping vision and I'm going to take it there before I hack it down to the bones! Maybe one day.

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

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[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

 

[SockUnicorn]

Second Styling.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I spy a flower.