AMERICAN ELM

[JudyB]

Thank you guys. I really appreciate the kind words and support from my fellow BNuts!




Of course Doug, and once again many thanks to you for the generous gift! I look forward to keep developing your tree in the coming years.

Just to set the record straight, @jimib is Jimmy B. Doug and Jimmy were both at this workshop. I am unsure of who had the tree at the time before it went to you. It may be from Doug to me, me to Jimmy then Jimmy to you lol...

 

[MACH5]

Just to set the record straight, @jimib is Jimmy B. Doug and Jimmy were both at this workshop. I am unsure of who had the tree at the time before it went to you. It may be from Doug to me, me to Jimmy then Jimmy to you lol...

Ah gotcha Juds! Thank you! My biggest fear has come true. Calling someone by the wrong name!! My apologies Jimmy!

 

[jimib]

I just read the start of this thread again. I didn’t realize Sergio had mistaken me for Doug until later on the thread. Doug gave Sergio the elm, then gave a collected hornbeam to @JudyB, who gifted it to me the flowering year. Doug does that a lot...pass out stuff he’s collected.

As much as I’d like to take credit and say “you’re welcome Sergio” it was Doug.

On a side note, I was watching a video of Ryan Neil working on a quince and he mentioned Sergio using paper towel wrapped wire for certain species and he went on to mention what a talented artist he was. I’d absolutely agree with that.

 

[jimib]

Ah gotcha Juds! Thank you! My biggest fear has come true. Calling someone by the wrong name!! My apologies Jimmy!

No worries Sergio!

 

[MACH5]

I just read the start of this thread again. I didn’t realize Sergio had mistaken me for Doug until later on the thread. Doug gave Sergio the elm, then gave a collected hornbeam to @JudyB, who gifted it to me the flowering year. Doug does that a lot...pass out stuff he’s collected.

As much as I’d like to take credit and say “you’re welcome Sergio” it was Doug.

On a side note, I was watching a video of Ryan Neil working on a quince and he mentioned Sergio using paper towel wrapped wire for certain species and he went on to mention what a talented artist he was. I’d absolutely agree with that.

Thank you JIMMY for clarifying! Yes I finally got it right man!

 

[penumbra]

Now and again I see a bonsai / miniature landscape I could walk into and spend some time. This is one of those.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Now and again I see a bonsai / miniature landscape I could walk into and spend some time. This is one of those.

Agreeed! I enjoy perspectively projecting myself into these landscapes.. “getting to know them” as an ant versus an eagle..

It takes a good one to TRULY immerse yourself.

I’m glad I ran across this composition.

 

[Cmd5235]

This is such a great post. I have two American Elms that I have yet to start working on, and thus I have immense respect for those who are using native North American trees, when so may shy away from them. I cannot wait to see this tree progress even further.

Out of curiosity, are you treating this with fungicide/are you concerned about Dutch elm disease?

 

[MACH5]

This is such a great post. I have two American Elms that I have yet to start working on, and thus I have immense respect for those who are using native North American trees, when so may shy away from them. I cannot wait to see this tree progress even further.

Out of curiosity, are you treating this with fungicide/are you concerned about Dutch elm disease?

I am becoming very fond of American elm. Suthin had a spectacular broom style one back at the 4th US Nationals that won I believe best in show that year.

Yes, I have sprayed this one with fungicide much like I do with other trees in the garden but more as a preventative against such things as powdery mildew. I was concerned about Dutch elm disease until I read in @Zach Smith site that elm "bonsai do not get tall enough to allow the disease to complete its life cycle". Zach collects and has a lot of experience with American elm so hopefully he can chime in.

 

[Cmd5235]

I am becoming very fond of American elm. Suthin had a spectacular broom style one back at the 4th US Nationals that won I believe best in show that year.

Yes, I have sprayed this one with fungicide much like I do with other trees in the garden but more as a preventative against such things as powdery mildew. I was concerned about Dutch elm disease until I read in @Zach Smith site that elm "bonsai do not get tall enough to allow the disease to complete its life cycle". Zach collects and has a lot of experience with American elm so hopefully he can chime in.

Awesome, I was curious about that!

Relatedly unrelated, I collected a 5” diameter ash this spring. Ash trees, as I’m sure you’re aware, are being steamrolled by the emerald ash borer. From what I’ve seen at my work, the diameter of this tree is too small for the beetle to really notice/bore into. I’m treating it with a pesticide, but it’s along the same lines as what you said and hopefully the tree will fly under the radar of the ash borer. Unfortunately, the finished tree will have to be somewhere in the 5/6 foot high range to even have a semblance of correct leaf scale...

 

[HorseloverFat]

I read in @Zach Smith site that elm "bonsai do not get tall enough to allow the disease to complete its life cycle".

Wow! What incredibly valuable, and previously unknown, to me, information! Thank you for passing it on.

I LOVE North American Ulmus(s), and have a couple that I REALLY enjoy in their “future contemplation sessions”. I have often wondered about this very issue, while STILL hunting/collecting these wonderful trees...(Wisconsin has VERY reasonable laws regarding such endeavors)

It appears as though ONE of the reasons I purchased Ulmus Davidiana var. Japonica samaras.. is null and void.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Awesome, I was curious about that!

Relatedly unrelated, I collected a 5” diameter ash this spring. Ash trees, as I’m sure you’re aware, are being steamrolled by the emerald ash borer. From what I’ve seen at my work, the diameter of this tree is too small for the beetle to really notice/bore into. I’m treating it with a pesticide, but it’s along the same lines as what you said and hopefully the tree will fly under the radar of the ash borer. Unfortunately, the finished tree will have to be somewhere in the 5/6 foot high range to even have a semblance of correct leaf scale...

I keep Fraxinus.. I’ve been treating seasonally with systemic, for this same fear.

I’ve also been experimenting with aggressive pruning in attempt to SOMEWHAT control internode length, as well as “strategic leaf chopping” ... I believe that, In the end, the internodes will be a much more cumbersome issue than the leaves.

 

[MACH5]

Awesome, I was curious about that!

Relatedly unrelated, I collected a 5” diameter ash this spring. Ash trees, as I’m sure you’re aware, are being steamrolled by the emerald ash borer. From what I’ve seen at my work, the diameter of this tree is too small for the beetle to really notice/bore into. I’m treating it with a pesticide, but it’s along the same lines as what you said and hopefully the tree will fly under the radar of the ash borer. Unfortunately, the finished tree will have to be somewhere in the 5/6 foot high range to even have a semblance of correct leaf scale...

Sounds good! Have fun and hopefully that monster is still too small to be affected

 

[Cmd5235]

I keep Fraxinus.. I’ve been treating seasonally with systemic, for this same fear.

I’ve also been experimenting with aggressive pruning in attempt to SOMEWHAT control internode length, as well as “strategic leaf chopping” ... I believe that, In the end, the internodes will be a much more cumbersome issue than the leaves.

I can’t wait to see how yours progresses!!

 

[Zach Smith]

I am becoming very fond of American elm. Suthin had a spectacular broom style one back at the 4th US Nationals that won I believe best in show that year.

Yes, I have sprayed this one with fungicide much like I do with other trees in the garden but more as a preventative against such things as powdery mildew. I was concerned about Dutch elm disease until I read in @Zach Smith site that elm "bonsai do not get tall enough to allow the disease to complete its life cycle". Zach collects and has a lot of experience with American elm so hopefully he can chime in.

I read somewhere that the initial attack of the beetles on American elm specimens occurs at some height from the ground because the preferred spots for egg laying are in the branch crotches. The typical mature American elm has a multi-trunk form and the smaller branches are found several feet or higher up. But ... I doubt this makes much sense with regard to bonsai and would probably not explain a lack of susceptibility. The DED pathogens overwinter in the bark of dead or dying specimens. We bonsai folks don't typically leave our dead elms in pots for the pathogen to go on to complete the life cycle; rather, we uproot and toss them, burn them, compost them, what have you. Dying specimens may only be noted as not very healthy, so we forge on and if they survive and recover we continue working on them and don't think too much of it; if they die, then they get pulled and tossed. Larger landscape trees are not as likely to get cut down right away if they shed a few branches, so the disease continues on.

I've never had a bonsai American elm specimen that I can recall sickening and dying. But then again, I've seen quite a few mature specimens in my local landscape that rock along from year to year - I even used to have a very large one in my side yard that's only gone because I took it out. It was quite healthy and many decades old.

Bottom line is, we can't rule out DED as a threat to our American elm bonsai, but I've never personally experienced a problem (with that or any other elm bonsai) and don't know anyone who has. Certainly it would be good to know if this has happened in the elm bonsai world (and confirmed to have happened). But there's much to enjoy with American elm as a bonsai subject, and I wouldn't forego it due to DED concerns.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Treating a mature elm in the landscape with sufficient systemic fungicide is a difficult and expensive process. Treating an elm in a bonsai pot or training container with a systemic fungicide is inexpensive and trivially easy. Dutch elm disease is not a problem to treat for trees small enough to be in containers. Similar with ash trees, and any number of other tree diseases. Diseases that would be serious problems in the landscape or forest settings, can be treated fairly easily with containerized plants.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I would be interested in seeing what the nebari look like. My slippery elm has developed a fat surface root that I need to remove next spring and my zelkova seedlings are developing large taproots that need intervention too. Elms seem to do this. Nice tree.

 

[BobbyLane]

Treating a mature elm in the landscape with sufficient systemic fungicide is a difficult and expensive process. Treating an elm in a bonsai pot or training container with a systemic fungicide is inexpensive and trivially easy. Dutch elm disease is not a problem to treat for trees small enough to be in containers. Similar with ash trees, and any number of other tree diseases. Diseases that would be serious problems in the landscape or forest settings, can be treated fairly easily with containerized plants.

Yep and applying deadwood preserver to a deciduous tree with deadwood in a pot is similarly easy too.
Although i dont use it usually i did use preserver on my Field elm from time to time.
deadwood in a pot if treated properly will last much, much longer than deadwood in the wild.

 

[Viridian Bonsai]

Update on this beautiful elm? I have just started some this year from small seedlings I've found under massive trees in my city! Very interested in this species since zelkova and Chinese elm aren't hardy in my zone

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

More inspiring work Sergio! What a transformation even in the short period of time shown. I have several American elm and am enjoying them so far, and discovered a new collecting location for these this fall. Thank you for sharing.