Syzygium Brush Cherry got too large; air rooting OK?

[Kim Kietzman]

Syzygium Brush Cherry got too large; air rooting OK?

I didn’t get back to Florida due to a prolonged health issue; Heart Attack.
She got way too tall and there’s no leaves for 2 feet from the bottom, it’s now over three feet tall. Things grow fast in Florida.
Would I get new growth if I cut it off at 12 to 24” and kept the girth, or could I do an air rooting at the very top?

It’s very healthy at the top. Perhaps I could do both with the air rooting first?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Kim Kietzman]

I meant air layering or Hard pruning.

 

[Kim Kietzman]

I’ve been doing Bonsai since I went to Japan in the 1970’s. I could bring plants back with me then!

 

[Shibui]

Good to hear you are home after the heart problems.

Syzygium generally bud reliably after pruning, even on bare wood so chopping back is an option. How low to chop depends on the size you're aiming for but first chop at 24" sounds way too tall.
Most of the new buds will grow close to the chop site and one or more of those are likely to become your first branch while another will continue the trunk. First branch generally looks good at around 1/3 total tree height so if first branch is at 24" the bonsai will probably be around 70" tall! First branch at 12" would give a tree 36" tall.

They also root easily so layering is an option but the trunk will need to be thick enough to layer. I rarely bother with layers under 1" diameter. Layering will set the development back a full season so need to decide if the delay in developing your bonsai is worth getting what's probably a mediocre new tree or whether buying a new small syzygium would make more sense and just go straight to the chop.
If you want more plants, it will root quite easily as cuttings from bits you chop off the top.