I have a Jacaranda that grew from seed in my parents front yard. I never
really wanted a bonsai Jacaranda, but there it was so I pulled it up and put
in a pot. Over the last 12 years I have been looking after it, trying to
get it to branch and it just will not. I know this is their native growth
habit (there are lots around here) and this is why I never really wanted
one, but over the years I have become fond of it. Maybe one day it will be
a nice "large" tree. It now has a main trunk maybe 5cm, where it splits to
2 smaller trunks. One of these as 1 branch. Other than that there is just
the canopy.

Anyway, each year it develops lots of buds along the trunks, the buds swell
and open but then they just sit there - little green "furry" buds. The top
of the tree grows well, but I need some more side branches. I have tried
just letting it grow for a whole season - this was great for the trunk size,
but no new branches. I have tried cutting it back hard (pinching tip buds)
all season - still no branches. But, I was not very rigorous with this :-)
I have tried letting it grow long sacrifice shoots (from the top) and then
cutting back hard.

I am thinking that next season I might try being *really* hard on the bud
pinching - I mean every week.

As an aside - can I ever expect this to flower?? Any tips for encouraging
this?

Thanks,

Brian

Sydney, Australia

Hi Brian,

I have a little Jacaranda (see it in the link below) that came as a gift. Since that photo, 2 new branches have grown, one from the branch stub at the bottom of the trunk, another from the back of the first branch. On the other hand, the branches at top left have become completely stagnant and haven't grown at all. I don't know what caused the difference in these two scenarios, but have read that to get your buds to grow you just need to fertilise a lot.

Hope that's some help,
Chris, Melbourne




http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/vi...hp?f=7&t=17759