Hackberry and privet update

Do you recognize this tree?
It’s only been 26 days.

How about from this angle?
Not yet?

This one should be a dead give away.
When last we left this tree it looked like this:

I love how quickly trees grow here in Florida. I’ll trim this one more time before winter at least. Go ahead, be jealous.

Verdant, rampant growth; it’s grown at least 8 inches in less than a month.

Here is the leader when last I showed it.

I plan to cut it here where the scissors are pointing . I know, it’s hard to see. I blame the photographer. I’ll make sure to pass on all complaints to him

Snip.

If you read the last post I said I would shorten the tree. If you go here you can read the original post. The leaves are greener and more turgid. Overall ,what I did last month made the tree happy.

A little clean up pruning, cut multiple branches and rub out the growth in the crotches (I said it, I did)

I’m leaving the, uh, leaves. There is no need to cut them.

I don’t plan on wiring it now. The bark is still green and tender and very tubular. If I restrict the fluid carrying capacity in such a young branch it could possibly cause it to wither. And die. And I would cry.

ON TO THE PRIVET

The privet project is progressing ahead of schedule. (click here to read it)

This is how last you saw it.

I chopped this one up on July 25. It is August 11. Amazing? It is more vigorous than some ficus I have.

This was the growth less than a week after my initial styling.

As you see, it will push buds just about anywhere.
It is this reason I’m not too worried about internode length right now. When I get the thickness and taper needed for a purty branch, it will pop buds everywhere.

Much like an ilex, it will grow in every direction. The sun or gravity have no effect on the growth it seems.

Buds, buds, buds. A stoners paradise.

Just a light trim. I removed the new branches growing straight up, cut all the multiple buds from one point and cut some back to 2 leaves.
This privet, being semi-tropical, will continue to grow through the winter so it should develop very quickly. I could possibly put it into a finished pot next summer, if’n I had a hankerin’ to.