Celtis sinensis - formal broom

Hank Miller · Sep 3, 2014

For a number of years I have wanted a formal broom. About 4 or 5 years ago I propagated some Celtis sinensis from seed. One of these has begun to develop into a nice formal broom style bonsai. The image was taken earlier this year. Each year in the late fall I have loosely bound the branches in the crown together to maintain the proper silhouette. In the following spring some of the branches have to be wired to straighten them out again. Enjoy Hank

Txhorticulture · Sep 3, 2014

Nice

That is a very nice little tree. I have been growing trees from seeds for years now it is a lot of fun and rewarding i think. Some seeds i started about ten years ago may be legitimate bonsai material in a another year or two.

What is the point of binding the branches in the crown together ?

Nybonsai12 · Sep 3, 2014

Nice work, even more impressive that you developed it from seed! Well done!
How did the other seedlings turn out?

Hank Miller · Sep 4, 2014

Ideally, the crown of a formal broom should have the shape of a piece of pie. All the major branches should emanate from the top of the trunk and be reasonably straight. In order to achieve this I have bound the branches in the crown in the fall so that they and the secondary branches grow upward and not outward. This usually results in slight curves in the exterior branches. In the spring I straighten these branches by wiring. To increase the branch density in the interior the has been regularly pruned and de-foliated.

The remaining seedlings are alive and well. I have planted a few forests and kept the best for single trunked bonsai.

Hank

jk_lewis · Sep 4, 2014

Very nice, but a bit too much top for this stage of development. I'd cut the branch ends evenly (maybe 1/2 inch). Then I'd wire the lower branches down a bit to flatten.

Neli · Sep 5, 2014

I have a question...
I was also thought in japan to tie the brooms during winter...but I dont understand it.
I prefer my trees like this. Pic1, with branches almost horizontal.What would you call a broom like this?
Pic 2 for me is too extreme.
Is picture 3 a broom? Or only by Walter Pall's definition, where he says all trees are brooms?
Can it be called uninterrupted broom, or flame type broom?

KennedyMarx · Sep 5, 2014

I think JKL's suggestion would take this tree to the next level. I think that a softer oval pot would be a nice complement to the tree.

Hank Miller · Sep 22, 2014

For me, at least, a broom is a tree with most of its major branches emanating from the the top of the trunk. In this respect it differs from many other bonsai trees.

My tree is not far enough along to consider placing it in a proper bonsai pot. In fact I have put in a larger growing pot to encourage the trunk to thicken and to begin to improve the nebari. This winter I will not bind the crown.

Hank

jk_lewis · Sep 22, 2014

Without re-opening Walter's very broad definition of "broom" I think pics 1 and 3 of Neli's post come closest to my definition of a classical, formal, broom and are what I was suggesting for your tree in my earlier post.

The second tree in Neli's post is a Mess, and needs to be cut back by at least half all around.

Neli · Sep 22, 2014

jkl said:
Without re-opening Walter's very broad definition of "broom" I think pics 1 and 3 of Neli's post come closest to my definition of a classical, formal, broom and are what I was suggesting for your tree in my earlier post.

The second tree in Neli's post is a Mess, and needs to be cut back by at least half all around.

he he he ! I agree...but I know of interrupted and uninterrupted brooms...

Hank Miller · Feb 20, 2015

I have again begun to work on my broom. In the last year I have re-potted it into a larger container to thicken up the trunk and surrounded the trunk with a layer of vermiculite and sphagnum moss to hopefully promote surface root growth. Recently the tree has been pruned a bit and I re-wired some of the main branches. Still more work to be done on the tertiary branches. Enjoy. Hank

JudyB · Feb 20, 2015

Awesome work H. very nice broom.

ColinFraser · Apr 9, 2016

Any chance of an update on this tree?

JLBonsai · Apr 10, 2016

2nd the update....Very nice tree!

Celtis sinensis - formal broom

Hank Miller

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Txhorticulture

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