I'm amazed at the amount of growth that I am getting out of these trees. The weakest trees will likely double in girth and the strongest are coming close to tripling.
I am definitely seeing distinct phases of growth. The first push of growth started in the spring and hardened in early summer. The second push started shortly after the first and has since hardened on most of the trees. I am now seeing a third "push" of growth, not in foliage but in girth. There has been a noticeable increase over the past month. I'm beginning to understand why they are a preferred subject for bonsai.