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I would like to Bonsai a (not small) eucalyptus, for my exterior garden space.

 
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I just purchased a Eucalyptus Silver Dollar that's about 9 feet tall, and it is destine for our main garden space as a natural bug repellent.

Now the height is to be controlled to maintain our view but I would like to have a large bonsai center piece, so I am going to pot it to control it's growth.

The diameter of the tree is just under an inch so I am confident I can train it a little bit at least, the thing is most bonsai methods are for tiny decorative trees and it is hard to find a good place to start for this unusual endeavor.
My first thoughts are to perhaps begin tying down the trunk and incrementally adjusting my ties until the tree begins distorting in the desired directions.

I am imaging a bit of a spiral lower trunk while training the upper half to expand more lateral than vertical, pretty much a typical bonsai design only larger.

What are some of your opinions out there? Any one have experience with large bonsai trees? Would this perhaps be more feasible if I did start with a lil tiny guy?
Looking forward to hearing from some folks!!
 
pollinator
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Restricting root growth through potting may help, but in my experience eucalyptus are usually vigorous and fast growing - pretty much the opposite of properties you want for a bonsai. On the other hand the eucalyptus we have has been cut to near ground level 3 times now, from 30ft height, and regrows rapidly.

You might look at pollarding techniques instead of bonsai - grow a structure that is the size/shape you want and cut it back to that level annually/every other year.
 
Matthew Alger
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WOW from 30 ft?? I thought I had misread cutting "to the ground" on a web article, I guess not. I just discovered the pollarding term today I'll have to research further.
Perhaps I can 'kinda sorta' bonsai along with pollarding.


 
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盆景 (Penjing) the much older versions of 盆栽 (Bonsai) and Vietnamese tray planting Hòn Non Bộ (Hahn Nahn Bo) are all germain topics to consider when trying to learn to "train" botanicals of any species. The Chinese Garden often has larger tree species "reduced" in growth size throw these techniques. There are "Pollarding" and "Espalier" modalities as well that are also germain.

Please email me at tosatomo@gmail.com, and I would be glad to discuss them with you...
 
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