5yr Native Tree Challenge - Cedar Elm

[Decoy Octopus]

Been lurking about for the past ten years here. Sounds like a fun time to jump in and start participating. I just picked this up for a pretty nice price as it was marked down. I'll enter this one for now.

I plan to cut low this winter/spring and move it to a grow box to try and see what kind of flare / roots I'm working with.

Should be fun!

 

[Decoy Octopus]

Repotted the big guy. Digging deeper revealed a bigger flare which is nice. some good radial roots under the pumice too. I'll have to deal with that little root that is wrapping around the base on the next repot.

I'm planning on air-layering this either at the first branch on the left or the next set above it. I'm hoping I can get 3 trees total out of this thing.

The pumice I used was a little smaller than I'd like but hoping we make it through until next year.

 

[Decoy Octopus]

Hoping it wakes up after our big freeze. This tree was too tall to bring inside.

 

[Decoy Octopus]

Decided against going for multiple air layers as the upper sections were not all that interesting. Leaving room for one air layer up top once the leaves harden off.

I may attempt a ground layer next year to address the base. I think this tree won't need too much recovery time but I figure a ground layer and an air layer at the same time might be pushing it.

We'll see how it does this spring =)

 

[Decoy Octopus]

Went for an airlayer up top to maybe make a tiny shohin broom. I kept one lignified branch that kind of runs through the back of the pot the airlayer is in. I hope it's enough to produce roots on the layer. If not, c'est la vie. Once it's removed, whether it takes or not I'll reduce this tree down to the first branch and try to build a little taper. The tree doesn't have too much interest but I think this angle is its best bet.

 

[Forsoothe!]

You do realize that the clock is ticking? So far, you have only taken one, single step in taking a tree from new to finished in 5 years. It's understandable that you'd like to utilize the parts of the tree that are superfluous to the finished tree, but that is subtracting time spent maximizing the tree that brought you to the party. You need to dance with the girl who brought you to the dance, or you'll go home lonely and unfulfilled. You already started this 10 months behind the pack...

 

[Sekibonsai]

You do realize that the clock is ticking? So far, you have only taken one, single step in taking a tree from new to finished in 5 years. It's understandable that you'd like to utilize the parts of the tree that are superfluous to the finished tree, but that is subtracting time spent maximizing the tree that brought you to the party. You need to dance with the girl who brought you to the dance, or you'll go home lonely and unfulfilled. You already started this 10 months behind the pack...

Its an elm... should take 2 years...

 

[Sekibonsai]

Nip that little root off now and pull it away from the trunk.

 

[Sekibonsai]

Might as well air layer above the first branch now too... since you're cutting it off anyway. In June defoliate it and wire it up as the new leader.

 

[Decoy Octopus]

Nip that little root off now and pull it away from the trunk.

Good call. Time for that strangler to go!

 

[Decoy Octopus]

Early fall update -- will let the leader go to attempt to heal the wound. The big branch on the right will stay for now. Might make this the first branch -- will see how fast the one that sprouted down low thickens up though. I could always let that one run to try and catch up in thickness, but I think the one above might be too thick for a second branch. Who knows! Time will tell. The air layer suffered an accident with a squirrel and did not survive.

4 more years to go! (and of course hopefully many more)

 

[Decoy Octopus]

When repotting this in March of 2021, I had thrown this lower portion of the rootball in a dark corner of the yard. A few weeks later and it had started sprouting up - one big unintentional root cutting.

 

[Decoy Octopus]

one year later, after putting it into a tub with some regular potting soil just as an experiment

the main tree is still going strong. just thought I'd throw this in here for fun.

 

[Gert]

Potted up 'plan b' into its native container. Will start making edits to the trunks and heights in the coming weeks.

 

[Gert]

here's 'plan a' - the chop has healed but i'm wondering if my first branch is too high. I might let the sacrifice go a few more months to see if it can make the taper more believe-able and to make the reverse taper from the 'first branch' less noticeable. Keeping low bud for now as option for the future if complete re-design is necessary.

 

[Gert]

Here are the two trees that started from the single nursery tree today. Growing out the lowest branch on the big tree to thicken it up. Hoping I can build at least the start of a nice canopy before the contest ends. I didn't get as much movement from the cuts I made as I had hoped but that's okay.

For the second tree from the rootball just kind of having fun with this one. Going to clip for ramification until the contest ends and then put the best foot forward. This is currently in a pot made by mother.

 

[Gert]

Potted this one up in its Native pot which my mother made. Hoping I can build some ramification in it by the contests end. Which front do y'all think ? I'm leaning toward the first picture.

 

[RJG2]

View attachment 528335View attachment 528336


Potted this one up in its Native pot which my mother made. Hoping I can build some ramification in it by the contests end. Which front do y'all think ? I'm leaning toward the first picture.

Wait a minute, what happened to @Decoy Octopus ?

 

[Gert]

I must have created this thread with the original user ID from years ago that I signed up for the site with. Oops

 

[RJG2]

I must have created this thread with the original user ID from years ago that I signed up for the site with. Oops

Was just curious, I liked the original username!