Ligustrum Restoration/Development

[AshleyMammal]

I’ve been tasked by my non-bonsai friend to ‘sort’ his Chinese privet.

I repotted it in spring (lava, pumice, akadama and some regular potting compost added - my thinking was it would retain just that bit more water and nutrients to help a non-bonsai person care for it), and have now begun thinning out the top and cleaning up the 50+ years of dirt in the dead and rotting trunk. Once the trunk is dry, I’ll treat with super/crazy glue in an attempt to save as much as possible for as long as possible and give it a light carving on stumps/unsightly bits.

I am however at a bit of a loss with the branches, it is all over the place, thick, crossing, up, down, you name it. Could anyone give me a few pointers on how best to layout the branches. I’d normally say to go for a ‘reaching skyward’ natural branching for a Chinese privet but with the branching essentially all coming from one knuckle so high up in the tree, would it be better to go for a more downward/drooping branching in an effort to marry the ace old trunk with the fairly new looking (relatively) branching?

 

[RosePastry]

I love what youve done with it so far!

My 2 cents is

wiring new growth into the natural canopy shape its got in picture 3 rather than fully downwards and then carving it to adjust the flow better.

If your looking to edit it into a more traditional style I see a main trunk in picture 1 growing up and around to the right.

Go with your gut though, I will still think its gorgeous anyways.

 

[AshleyMammal]

I love what youve done with it so far!

My 2 cents is

wiring new growth into the natural canopy shape its got in picture 3 rather than fully downwards and then carving it to adjust the flow better.

If your looking to edit it into a more traditional style I see a main trunk in picture 1 growing up and around to the right.

Go with your gut though, I will still think its gorgeous anyways.

Thanks! There is a definite flow from the base curving round to the right, I’m glad you can see it in the photos and you’re right that a little light carving and branch adjustment will help accentuate it - that’s the plan!

If it was my tree then I would probably select that new trunk line and reduce the rest drastically to develop it in time - but with it being a friend’s tree I need the bonsai no-no: a reasonable ‘quick fix’ (puts tin hat on).

 

[nuttiest]

I would only cut out any really awkward or crossing branches since you need some foliage to clean up the trunk. scrub with toothbrush if you have to see where live edge is, scrape out any black stuff or soft wood and coat with lime sulfur or lime to see how far you want to go with top at this time.
If it is soft wood, cut any protruding stubs at top flush and coat with turpentine or something to keep rot away while callus forms.
Probably soft wood as it does not look like ligustrum but possibly is pittosporum.

 

[AshleyMammal]

I would only cut out any really awkward or crossing branches since you need some foliage to clean up the trunk. scrub with toothbrush if you have to see where live edge is, scrape out any black stuff or soft wood and coat with lime sulfur or lime to see how far you want to go with top at this time.
If it is soft wood, cut any protruding stubs at top flush and coat with turpentine or something to keep rot away while callus forms.
Probably soft wood as it does not look like ligustrum but possibly is pittosporum.

Actually, now you come to mention it, I think you're right that it's not ligustrum - my bet is cotoneaster. That would explain the straight and herringbone patter branching! Don't know why I didn't spot it sooner!

 

[nuttiest]

cotoneaster is definitely nice bonsai material, albeit hard to keep fungus free. I think that largest branch needs to go eventually as it dwarfs the other branches and is awkwardly placed.