5yr Native Tree Challenge - Melaleuca Cajuputi

[Lumaca]

Well here's my other submission, Melaleuca Cajuputi. A swamp tree with flaky bark and pretty small leaves. The oil from this plant is used as a cure-all, including as an insecticide. Hopefully that makes it a little pest resistant. Let's see if something can be done with this one.

The "trunk" is pretty flaky and brittle, so the plan is to wire the thinner one and air layer the thicker on at the blue line.

 

[LittleDingus]

If you're going to air layer, why not air later higher so you have some lower branching for interest? You mention that the trunknis brittle...but will it back bud do you know? Where you propose to layer still leaves a lot of straight trunk that sound like won't bend.

Not trying to tell you what to do with you're try, just wondering why you made the decisions you did. The species is unfamiliar to me. The leaves remind me very much of willow leaf ficus

 

[Lumaca]

Hahaha I very much welcome any input! I just got the tree for a couple of weeks so will just let it grow til Jan before deciding.

My research has shown that they are regularly cut back to stumps in cultivation, so hopefully it back buds well. Lot's of hoping going on here hahaha.

 

[Lumaca]

Okay the bark is so soft I literally peeled it off with my fingers!

Fingers are crossed now. Might need to add some more peat moss...

 

[Lumaca]

I think this tree is pulling out before the 1 year mark... Doesn't look like it is recovering from an aggressive root prune.

Pics incoming.

 

[Lumaca]

I think it's time for the obituary...