This privet had to go to make way for a new garden bed. Middle of our summer but it is a privet so really tough. I think it stands a good chance of surviving.
It does have a short, fat trunk as a result of being chopped off a few times years ago. When it refused to die the gardener resorted to trimming regularly to maintain a ball shaped topiary.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH220572-1024x768.jpg)
After this was dug I got busy with other jobs and forgot about it so it sat overnight and part of the next day on top of the soil. By the time I picked it up the fresh shoots were quite wilted.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH200564-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH200565-1024x768.jpg)
Root ball was soaked in water for the rest of the afternoon until I had time to deal with it.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH200567-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH200568-768x1024.jpg)
After soaking I raked out much of the garden soil, chopped large roots and shortened all others to fit in a 30 cm orchid pot.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH220569-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH220571-1024x768.jpg)
Finally the tree was potted into my usual bonsai potting mix, watered well and the pot placed under a bonsai bench in part shade.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CH220579-768x1024.jpg)
I can report that 2 weeks later all the shoots are erect and looking good.
Today I had another opportunity to further trial summer transplanting. Another garden and some more trees that had to go.
First up is an Acacia cognata. I believe it is one of the compact cultivars, possibly ‘Limelight’. All trunks were chopped back a few weeks ago. The number of new shoots all over the trunks prompted me to try this transplant.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_0416-ss-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_0417ss-768x1024.jpg)
Roots were chopped back to fit a 30 cm orchid pot and most of the (hydrophobic) garden soil removed before potting up in usual bonsai potting mix.
The other trees collected today were 3 self sown desert ash – Fraxinus angustifolia. Not big trunks but definitely suitable as trials for summer collecting.
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_0421ss-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://shibuibonsai.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_0422ss-768x1024.jpg)
Again all these trees were watered well then placed under the bench in dappled shade. I’ll report back in a few weeks on how these trees are progressing.