Chinese Elm Broom

[BobbyLane]

Hi folks, here are some pics of my Chinese elm tree, in a few stages since i acquired it earlier this year...

The above image is after re potting in apr 2015, the root flare had been tidied up and ugly crossing roots removed. the branch structure was tidied up also, removal of crossing branches/leggy branches etc

One month after re potting,

You can see how much i removed here, to improve the structure all over the tree

Will update the thread as the tree develops...

 

[0soyoung]

Nice tree!

But I must say that I most like the asymetric canopy it had in the first photo.

 

[sorce]

Me too,

But it seems to be coming along nicely.

Sorce

 

[GrimLore]

I definitely like it better now. Also you will be able to work to refine it and work on ramification easier while still having a nice tree to look at. Good one and thank you for sharing.

Grimmy

 

[BobbyLane]

Thanks for the comments folks, i think as a asymetric triangle a looked a little juvenile and it was only after seeing the tree on my balcony every day, i liked it from this new angle, its just me rotating the pot a little which came to this. but at the next re pot it will likely remain....its filling up nicely now, so will update soon.

I think the fuller, wider canopy gives an air of maturity, you see with these trees here

 

[Cypress187]

It's very nice. Doesn't an elm get reverse taper when in broom style, or do you have a method of preventing that (or doesn't it matter in broom) ?

 

[BobbyLane]

Hi thanks, ive read that dragging the base out with root management helps to minimize reverse taper... but you also need to work on the top too, so ugly bits, crossing bits, leggy bits, heavy bits, parallel long bits, stronger bits are all pruned out. but im no expert

In regards to this tree, i plan to improve the nebari all around at each re pot and keep the top firmly in check.

 

[BobbyLane]

A little update on this one that was left to grow all season after a re pot in apr, it dropped a lot of leaves last month and has since replaced them all and its had a light prune a few days ago..

Back of tree

Its a little more dense now, while still maintaining its airy natural look.

 

[barrosinc]

nice tree

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I like it, it looks like a "real" tree.

John

 

[BobbyLane]

Time for a quick update on this one, this was the tree at the end of summer:

The tree had grown quite well since my last update, this was the tree at start of oct 2015

It hasnt really stopped growing since, only slowed down, feb 2016
the shoots were over a foot long a few days ago...

Its had a good run of growth and i can see that some of the surface roots have put on a little weight and the bark is cracking nicely and the tree looks very healthy, but time for a prune to enable me to see whats going on inside the canopy...so here it is today feb 2016

this summer will just let it go again, i think ill remove the guy wire end of season..

 

[sorce]

That's a slick pot!

Sorce

 

[BobbyLane]

Hi folks here's an update on this one, it had a prune today and in spring it went into blue glaze rectangle from Walsall ceramics, i think the pot and tree work quite well

This was the tree in june 2016
IMG_1039 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


and this is the tree today june 2017

2017-06-04_07-35-44 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_4765 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the surface roots have improved
IMG_4776 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

funnily, the only time this one dropped all its leaves was right after i bought it from kaizen in jan 2015. ive not seen it naked ever since, it retains all its leaves. i would likely have cut it back even harder if i was able to see the structure. the chinese elms i have out in the growing beds will drop most of their leaves in winter ive noted.

 

[BobbyLane]

Not long after i took these last images, this tree was ruthlessly cut back into old wood, every branch was brought back to around 2inches, the plan was to start building better branch taper. ..

June 2017
june 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
june 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
june 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
july 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

July 2017
july 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
july 2017.. by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Aug 2017
aug 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
aug 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
aug 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Nov 2017
nov 2017 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Jan 2018
Jan 2018 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

June 2018
2018-06-29_12-31-47 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[BobbyLane]

Its been mostly clip n grow, however one or two bits were wired into position a few weeks ago, for the most part i find you can build deciduous branch structure pretty effectively with clip n grow and i tend to use wire more for positioning rather than movement, depends on the tree also

Today, its starting to look like a tree again, still needs some more time though
20180910_143516 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

The nebari is always improving
20180910_143449 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180910_143703 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180910_144127 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


20180910_143739 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[TomB]

Big step up in terms of its future quality I think. The base is good for a Chinese elm and the bark is maturing nicely. Very nice.

 

[BobbyLane]

Big step up in terms of its future quality I think. The base is good for a Chinese elm and the bark is maturing nicely. Very nice.

Cheers Tom, yep the bark is flaking up very nicely now, thing with Chinese elm bark as it flakes, you can lose large chunks as they curl up and flake off , i actually super glued one or two big pieces back on the tree! the canopy will be smaller than the original images, but i think this smaller canopy gives the trunk more power, looking at the images the tree is looking pretty chunky.

 

[ConorDash]

Cheers Tom, yep the bark is flaking up very nicely now, thing with Chinese elm bark as it flakes, you can lose large chunks as they curl up and flake off .... but i think this smaller canopy gives the trunk more power, looking at the images the tree is looking pretty chunky.

Both these bits.. hate seeing big chunks of bark flake off my elms. But, I guess that’s nature. I hope in future it results in a more mature look, allowing nature to do its thing.
I do feel with a smaller canopy, it gives the trunk a much more powerful presentation. It’s a lovely little trunk.

 

[drew33998]

Different pot?

 

[jonathanvperth]

Nice work!! I understand why you cut it back but i still liked the old branches. It's looking great again and will be even more special in the future