Wulfskaar
Omono
I planted some Chinese Elm seeds a year ago and I got this out of it. It's about 11 months old. I say "Go for it!". Nothing wrong with growing from seeds AND getting older material.
Bonsai From Seed?
- Thread starter Isilwen
- Start date
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
99 cent bonsai Facebook page has some for sale right now
I see it as rational when the poster's account is fairly new on the site. In this case, OP's account is 1 year old, so it's a little bit of a grey area, but I still see it as more helpful than harmful for some of the responses to sort of do the Are-you-really-sure-that's-what-you-want-to-do dance. We don't necessarily know what someone new to the site knows about bonsai and it's entirely possible that the idea they seem intently focused on came from somewhere else where the information they received was not so good. When it's somebody who's been around for quite a while, I agree with you that the second-guessing would be annoying. Like, if Adair or MACH5 or someone else who's been doing bonsai for years wrote a post asking for a source to obtain seeds for whatever species they were looking for, it would be just plain dumb to do anything but give a straightforward answer. When it's a younger account, I don't see a problem with people making an effort to ascertain if the person is heading down a particular path because a crappy YouTube video gave them bad advice. At worst it's a little bit annoying, but it still leaves a breadcrumb that somebody else can find when they're thinking about doing that thing and they use the search feature on the site. Poof! There are all the different options laid out for them in some discussion thread from 10 years ago. That's part of the magic of the web, really, in my opinion.
rollwithak
Chumono
Go around any Chinese elm in the fall and you’ll be able to scoop up thousands and thousands and thousands of them!!!! If you know of where one is in your area, you could probably go around it in the near term and find seedlings popping up everywhere too. Those things are EFFICIENT
rollwithak
Chumono
I’m to the point where I NEED material to work on in the mean time
….. but growing from seed is definitely rewarding.
Crazy Diamond
Omono
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I'm all for seeds, but sourcing a local elm seed is probably easier straight away and better in the long run.
I like any elm better than Chinese Elm.
Sorce
I like any elm better than Chinese Elm.
Sorce
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Yeah like a "select" American/Rock/slippery.... or ANY Siberian..
Ulmus Pumila all the way!
I still like Parvifolia... but for ME... any other Elm does BETTER.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I concur. ANY elm is easy, but local is better. Cedar elm is VASTLY superior to Chinese elm in durability, growth and bonsaiability. It's also a Fla. native, but the OP seems hell-bent on Chinese elm from seed. Godspeed...
19Mateo83
Masterpiece
I hate elm seeds. The big ones in my back yard cover EVERYTHING! Shes loaded down with them and ready to drop as we speak. In a few months there will be little elm seedlings growing in every nook and cranny.
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19Mateo83
Masterpiece
Sheffield seeds are pretty accurate in their viability rating too. This how what one oz of their ‘small seed Japanese maple’ came up. I’d say their 70% germination rate is spot on.
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HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Yes! I forgot ALL about Cedar Elms!! I don't see them TOO often... but they are definitely one of the "bests".
rollwithak
Chumono
Why are these varieties better than Chinese Elms? What specifically?
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Well... "better" here is relative...
For me.. it is largely due to tolerance.. They just don't do AS well as others where I live.
And the OG bonsai practitioner's tree collections near me contain sone ALRIGHT parvifolias...
But some SPECTACULAR Pumilas as well as Americans... next time I'm at "Plantscapers" I'll get some pictures of Jerry's Elms.
NOTHING wrong with Chinese Elm..
It is simply...
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Like, let's say you have Three prizefighters... same weight class..
One is from Siberia... one from Florida Swamps.. one from Saudi Arabia...
They can all fight well... but their going to fight BETTER in there native climates.
One is from Siberia... one from Florida Swamps.. one from Saudi Arabia...
They can all fight well... but their going to fight BETTER in there native climates.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I've worked with cedar elm and chinese elm for 20 years. I've collected CE from the wild and worked nursery grown Chinese elm (including CATLIN and Seiju varieties)
IMO, Cedar elm is hardier (doesn't lose twigging in the winter as easily as Chinese Elm--which can be iffy in winter, particularly the smaller leaved varieties), faster growing (and faster developing), and looks better overall than Chinese elm when it's "completed" as a bonsai. It's mature bark is craggy and furrowed, much more character than the sometimes uneven, mostly boring "mature" bark on Chinese elm. Cedar Elm is also capable of being made into a more rugged looking bonsai using its sometimes weeping growth habits, and is more natural-looking overall. Cork barked varieties of Chinese Elm can sometimes approximate a similar look, but mostly not.
19Mateo83
Masterpiece
These little guys are last years seedlings I plucked out of other pots on the patio.
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BrightsideB
Omono
You can always entertain the idea of doing clump styles. If you get some nice wipe after a few years. I’ve seen some cool ones for sure.
BrightsideB
Omono
Nurseries usually sell them pretty cheap compared to most other trees. I’ve trunk chopped them at nurseries before then repot next spring and start developing.
Isilwen
Mame
So Wigert's got back to me and said they have one last Shohin Chinese elm that just came off of auction.
What are your thoughts?
Here it is:
What are your thoughts?
Here it is:
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