Deadwood on cork bark?

Thinking about buying a cork bark Chinese Elm but concerned about the Deadwood. Still new to bonsai but to my understanding from I have learned deciduous trees aren't typically good trees for Deadwood. Although I have seen pictures of some pretty cool once. So I wanted to get some opinions on what you guys thought the future of the Deadwood and the tree itself might become. Is the tree going to rot itself from inside out? Or just become a cool Hollow or overtime heal over? again still need to bonsai and just about everything I have it's much more immature and Young and cheaper for that matter LOL this is my first tree of this caliper so I didn't want to invest money into a tree that has no future. I would also like to get some feedback on the value of the tree if you guys thought it would be a good buy for 200. Thanks in advance! the tree 14 inch tall from soil and four and a half inch base inside 8 inch pot

I think it is interesting as is (2nd pic, especially), but the deadwood areas will eventually be grown over and bark up. However, it will be close to a decade before you will be unable to tell where this deadwood area was.

Having such gnarly bark, similar to a conifer, the shari could be a focal point or THE point of interest. If you were to want this, you would want the canopy to be much lower, I think, so that 'the eye' is drawn to it. As it is, the canopy tends to draw one's attention upward away from the imperfections in the trunk. This too caries an artistic message. It all depends on what you want - one is no better than the other, necessarily.

It is a very nice tree as it is. I like it ! The challenge, IMHO, is how to keep it like it is or figure out what would be a better image. It now has an interesting, sort of minimalist, image that is quite interesting to me. I'd love to have this tree on my bench so I could ponder this for myself.

Okay cool. Encouraging words. I'll probably end up buying it but just wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to rot away. Thanks

Nice find and great bark on the tree! I like first pic the most. I like the movement of the left branch and distance between both branches. I thought the deadwood could get cleaned up a bit to serve as nice feature. But I'm still new at this so I don't really know what I'm talking about.

Still on the hunt for a nice elm, corker or not...

Bonsaihead said:

... just wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to rot away.

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If you like the shari, it would be good idea to protect the wood. Lime sulfur is a fair preservative that is often used. It makes the wood white. Colorants can be put into it, such a India ink to make the color a shade of grey. I've heard of certain paints/stains being used. At any rate, once the desired deadwood color is achieved, stuff like superglue (see bonsai4me.com) or PC Petrifier can be applied and does a good job preserving without producing a sheen.

Of course, 'keeping the shari' will mean carefully cutting back the callus from time to time - else, ...

This is a very lovely tree that I would have bought if I saw it. Small but really interesting trunk, good flare on its base, is lending itself to a style already with those 2 primary branches, like an informal broom.

all right all right you guys talked me into it if it's still available I'm going to buy it. I'll comment more later when I have time running late for work. Thanks guys!

Lots of character.

Great... now I need a Cork Bark.
Really Like it... hope you got it.

I dig it but if I bought it I'd be looking to dig it too.

Out of that pot!

1. Too small.

2. Shape.. (Elm in a bag, Thats a lotta root)

3. Shape...Corker in a bag...for me, there are differences in how water evaporates in a pot, and there are too many ruined corkers to not further investigate, in an effort to understand how to keep them as awesome as they can be.

Obvious things like not watering the trunk, preventing moss, etc, if these things can't be remembered, or aren't enough...
What is the next thing to consider?

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/aerodynamics.html

Your wind around your pot.

Consider water inside the Belly of the bulge.

An illustration of a bag profile vs. A flare profile. Different Forces of Capillary Draw. Possible Saturation Differences.
Where is your wet? And where does it go?

Watering?
I study these things to adjust pot choice and tree to my watering schedule.
Equally valuable for those wanting to understand the other method of, watering when necessary.

Exploring how Pot Shape, Profile, Lip, Inside Lip, Soil Level, and Moss, have slight differences in effects to your wet. (Tiny Details Resorce.)

"Moss Holds Moisture" true and not true.

On the left, a low soil with no moss, wind mostly breaks, wetter longer.

On the right, tall moss catches cross wind, more evaporation takes place, and a mossy situation in fact becomes the drier of the 2.



Consider Inside Lip and Soil Level. Your Bag has a Half inch vertical lip?
This Lenz has about 3/16 before it curves under...
On the left, low soil level and the cross draft catches and enters the pot. Drier.
On the right Even soil, and the cross draft goes over. Wetter.
What if each scenario is mossed?

What type of moss?

It depends!

#backwardsworld
#wetwise
#fluiddynamics

Watering Takes 6 years?

3-4 years for a Doctoral degree? lol!
But you must study Aerospace? Lol!

Why not a little observation?

Sorce

So I did it! I bought it! Thanks for talking me into it and giving your opinion. can't wait to get it.

@source thanks for the schooling. I was already not a fan of the pot. Now after reading what you wrote it's definitely gonna get a new one! It's very rare when what I want to do matches up with what the best to do Lol but unfortunately I have not a clue to what to do when it comes to matching a tree with a pot just because every other tree I have is many years away from making it in a Bonsai pot. I will now certainly keep water retention in mine while looking for one. Thanks!

Bonsaihead said:

@source thanks for the schooling. I was already not a fan of the pot. Now after reading what you wrote it's definitely gonna get a new one! It's very rare when what I want to do matches up with what the best to do Lol but unfortunately I have not a clue to what to do when it comes to matching a tree with a pot just because every other tree I have is many years away from making it in a Bonsai pot. I will now certainly keep water retention in mine while looking for one. Thanks!

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Choosing pots: Back part of Bonsai Techniques II by John Naka. Has color wheel and how to choose type pot depending on tree.

Potawatomi13 said:

Choosing pots: Back part of Bonsai Techniques II by John Naka. Has color wheel and how to choose type pot depending on tree.

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I just looked up that book, it's going for a couple hundred dollars unfortunately I won't be able to afford that anytime soon

Bonsaihead said:

I just looked up that book, it's going for a couple hundred dollars unfortunately I won't be able to afford that anytime soon

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Yeah unfortunately there’s a number of times books have been mentioned on here but are too expensive or out of print.

It's here! And I'm in love so happy you guys talked me into pulling the trigger. Thanks everyone!

I've been tossing around the idea of pulling the majority of the branches down and allowing the top of one grow higher and develop another apex. I believe that it would allow me to create a more interesting muiti-trunk old oak style. I know if I choose to do so it wouldnt hurt to allow it to thicken up some but concerned I might loose some of the taper it if I put in a grow out container but I'm new and still don't know what the hell I'm talking about so.... Any feedback would be awesome

@source let me ask you, when you say the pot is too small are you saying that from Horticultural standpoint or cosmetic? Roughly about what size would you recommend If I was to leave it at its current hight?

Anyone say anything about WHY there is deadwood on this tree?

Elms typically don't die back like that all the way up the trunk. root issues fungal issues, even tough winters etc. can all be sources of such die back. I've got friends who have lost extremely nice cork barked trunk because of a nasty fungus.

Did the seller give you any background on the tree and how is was kept?

Yeah I did ask about that along with the rest of the history of the tree. He said that the guy that originally owed it took it as a cutting from another bonsai in 1996. Dead wood and carving was his passion and his collection reflected that.