Chinese Privet

This was my present (back view, left view, right view, front view)

This is the privet i asked about in questions.. if it is evergreen or not.. Jim lewis told me it will lose it leaves here so that is answered.. thank you take care john

So... whatcha gonno do with it???????

You ask a good question right up front Russell !! my wife got it for me our anniversity ..look and see what you think it can become ok??? i thank you take care john

With a little branch work, I think I like the current back more as the front. It looks more interesting to me.

Ryan wrote:With a little branch work, I think I like the current back more as the front. It looks more interesting to me.

I kinda had that same thought.

Thank you Ryan and Adam G ,,I Will check that out you may be right ,, with some pruning maybe a little wire... thanks for your comments take care john

I also thought the current back looked better and have been trying to figure out why.

I think the reason is that the foliage currently hides more of the trunk from that view (though I think the nebari also looks a little more interesting). This may just be my personal preference, but I don't really care for the exaggerated, repeated sharp curves/bends in the trunk - looks very artificial to me. Short of chopping it halfway, I think the only solution is to hide some of the repetition with foliage masses, and that could be done using either side as the front.

Will this species readily sprout new growth from the trunk, or are you pretty much "stuck" with the branches you've got?

Chris

Edited to add - I almost prefer the side view in photo #2 as the front - it minimizes the appearance of the bends.

Delicate issue on a wife-given plant, I know.

But as is, it is an overly (and overtly) typical Mallsai of the first order.

If it were mine . . . I'd either . . .

1. Chop the topmost bend off (layer it or use as a cutting <--- recommended), thus shortening it and improving the proportions somewhat.



or

2. Take it out of that pot and plant it in a spot in your yard with good morning (half-day) sun and fertilize the dickens out of it for a year or two so some branches might sprout between those widely spaced branches you have now.

If you elect not to do either because of the sensitivities involved, at least let the existing branches grow unpruned for a season or two to help disguise that snaky trunk.

Coh and Jim,,thank you very much for posting and your opions... I looked at what is the back and do think it will make a better front.. Coh ,,Jim says these trees grow fast for him so the branches should extend with time left alone with no pruning.. chopping i am not sure about!!! thank you both take care john

Hello everyone!

I´m still new to all this, so please criticize my opnion.

This is what I would do:



And then I´d model it as follows. Would look for a different pot and probably repot at a diff angle (sorry I couldn´t turn...using MS Paint at the moment):



What do you think?

AK Panama,,,thank you for the post and virtual...you do have a good idea that would make a nice tree.. my friend i am not ready to DIE yet!!! thank you take care john

i am not ready to DIE yet!!!

"B-b-but Honey, just look at all the nice cuttings I got. We'll have LOTS more trees -- all from the one you gave me."

HA HA HA,,,Thank you Jim !!!makes my day....take care john

it is too much "S" line... you are must cut it back and grow new taper

kill this snake!. hehehe

best regard
Pongsatorn.K

I know :p and I was going togo even lower than what I did.

But hey, you can try and airlayer the top part and convert it into two mallsai

Had a couple of spare minutes so wondered about this. Would need a bit of growing in and I don't know how well this species does in your climate. If it's at all like Chinese Elm it might be do-able in the longer term. Shallower and narrower pot would be needed too.

Pongsatorn.k,, thank you for takeing the time for virtual..i can,t deside yet what to do..i will look for a while thanks take care john

FIONA,,,Thank you also..I Like what you did...question please did you chopthe tree or wire the branches up???? YOU make the tree fuller and hide the S curves...i would like to know how you did this...as always take care john

I took Jim's virt and "pulled" his top section right down - either bending the whole branch if it is pliable enough or pulling down the individual twigs. Then let the whole thing grow like fury and worry about what bits you're going to keep later on. You might need to be wiring the branches down into position when they're ready so they don't get too solid.

BUT, remember the reason I asked if it grew like chinese elm was because I know this would work on one of those. I'm not familiar with chinese privet at all - it's one of the US's more invasive species is it not? I'm assuming from that it is a quick grower. If it has different growth from chinese elm then a rethink may be necessary.

Alas, they don't grow like Chinese elm. They grow vigorously and all that. (They are, in fact, a noxious weed!)

BUT, they disagree with the philosophy behind wires. Leave the wires on them 'till they bite into the bark, and the %$#$% branches will pop back where THEY think they belong once you remove the wires. You sometimes have actually to break the branches to get them to stay where YOU want them.

If ever there was a clip-and-grow plant, the Chinese privet is it. (Other Ligustrum may differ.)

Fiona's virtual is possible if you were to put this in a grow box or the ground and fertilize the dickens out of it for a year or two.

FIONA,, Thank you for the virt,,,it looks good to me.. i will check Jim virt again..that will hide the trunk also.. Jim if you read this the black leaves are on this tree,,,they are falling off a lot...maybe it is shipping trouble????? we will see..i have bothered everyone enough..thank you all very much take care john

I too am the victim of "Giftsai."

Mine is a Chinese Elm that arrived on the front porch in a heated box in the middle of December. I shudder to think of the cost. (I have never asked and hope never to find out.) I knew nothing at all about bonsai, or even plants for that matter.

The tree lived, which I think is a minor miracle.

Those of us in this category know one thing for certain: you cannot take drastic measures with giftsai.

Even though it is "your's"; it really isn't. It's like a hoarcrux. A part of the giver's soul remains with the tree. There will be no "chopping" or "Planting in the ground." Noooo, no. Repot you say? Surely you jest.

The best you can hope for is to prune one leaf every other week so no one notices.
(start with the back.)

Kopisan,,,Thanks for your reply...I am going real easy!!! please post your tree so we can see it.. chinese elms are my favorite tree.they are fun to work with.. take care john

I shortened the branches and changed the angle of the trunk. See if this makes any difference to you.