Just for fun - what would you do with this Chinese Elm?

daygan

Chumono
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This tree isn't mine, and I have no relationship to the owner whatsoever. It's "displayed" in a "resort-kind-of-park" (that is very poorly maintained) near one of the places where I sometimes live in Zhejiang, China. I walk past it frequently, and just today, I thought that while I'm bored waiting for weather to be warm enough for bud-extension on my own trees, it might be interesting to see what some of you on this forum might do with this tree if it were yours.

It's a Chinese Elm. With pot, I think it reaches up to my chin (and I'm 6'1") .. it may be a little taller, I can't remember exactly. That is cement that you see (or maybe you don't see it) plastered over dead areas of the tree (strangely enough). Sooo... what would you do with it?
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p.s. - let me know if those pictures are too large and I'll try to downsize them..
 

edprocoat

Masterpiece
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If it were mine, I would cherish it.

ed
 

Attila Soos

Omono
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I would get rid of that plastered mess, and do some carving on those wounds, for a nice finish. One would need a chainsaw, amongst others, to carve those large areas. For the wounds that are too large, the only practical approach would be to hollow the trunk for natural effect.

I would put the trees on a monthly maintenance schedule, so that little by little, every detail is taken care of. Large trees are a lot of work, so systematic maintenance is the key to make them look good. Right now, there are a lot of details that beg for correction. From the pictures, it is clear that right now the trees are in the hand of people who have neither the knowledge, nor the inclination to create good bonsai.

Since these trees were probably root-pruned a long time ago, I would make sure that they are not root-bound.

I would use pots that are two-third as deep as the current ones, and with a slightly larger diameter. I would stay with a round pot. That's because for garden-size bonsai, you don't need to manipulate the space around the tree with oval or rectangular pots. Instead, you are using the display area as the tree's natural space, so round pots are the best choice most of the time.

And lastly, I would find a nicer display area, with no clutter and trash around it. Those trees are sadly neglected. It's a pity, because they could be made into beautiful elements of a any garden or artificial landscape.
 
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