Chinese Elm or Trident Maple help me make the choice

[vlapinta]

I am new to bonsai and looking for a small tree to work on. I have a few tropicals. I was looking for a deciduous tree that shows color in the fall and is good for a beginner. I was looking at Chinese elm or Trident maple. Any help is appreciated

 

[fourteener]

Welcome to bonsai, it's a great hobby. Depending on where you live, both will need protection in the winter. Fill out your location so we can be better help.

Chinese elm will not give you any fall color but I'm not sure I'd recommend a Trident Maple to a person starting out. They grow fast and if you don't know how to manage it, it might become overwhelming.

Chinese Elm are the classic clip and grow method. You let the new shoots grow out, harden off and then clip it back to the first couple of leaves on the new stem. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Chinese elm can be a good starter for the enthusiast who wants to be busy working on their tree. I do the above three times a growing season.

Just my opinion, elm would be easier, but no fall color at all.

 

[vlapinta]

I live in New Jersey.

 

[coh]

I would pick the trident...I have one and it has very good (red) fall color. I have an elm and it has yellow fall color. Tridents are certainly vigorous, that can be both good and bad. Lots of people on forums complain about fungal issues with elms (leading to summer leaf yellowing/dropping) and I have had a bit of trouble with that as well...but no problems with tridents.

Other ideas, perhaps a little more advanced (perhaps not?) would be Japanese maple - some have very good color in fall (and/or spring), and korean hornbeam.

Chris

 

[JudyB]

Can't go wrong with an elm for a beginner... They are super forgiving of care mistakes, and they will give you plenty of opportunities to learn how to pinch for ramification and see how trees develop. Yes sometimes they drop leaves, but I've never been able to kill one yet!
Share what you choose with us when you get it.
Welcome.

 

[Poink88]

Note that I am in TX but between the 2, I would go with elm. What it lacks in fall color, it makes up with winter silhouette (if you do your part right).

Both are good choices though and can't go wrong with either. Good luck!

 

[sorce]

Why either or?

I love the yellow fall color of elms.

Super forgiving and easy to airlayer, you should be able to find a few to work on locally. This way they are hardy to your area, and near impossible to kill. Fungus probly start s indoors when people try to keep them tropically. Leave em out!

And if either or is because of budget, buy the trident and have both!

Now is not a bad time to start a layer on a elm....

See Peter tea' s blog for a wealth of trident info.

 

[MidMichBonsai]

I would go with the elm as well. Generally speaking you will arrive at a mature silhouette a little faster and the small leaves allow you to achieve correct proportions sooner.

Best of luck and welcome to the nut-house.

 

[GrimLore]

I live about 45 minutes from Jersey and both would be easy to keep healthy there. If you want a plant to keep "busy" on choose Trident. The Elm will probably not establish itself as quickly and although it will look nice it is a much slower process.

Grimmy

 

[vlapinta]

Why either or?

I love the yellow fall color of elms.

Super forgiving and easy to airlayer, you should be able to find a few to work on locally. This way they are hardy to your area, and near impossible to kill. Fungus probly start s indoors when people try to keep them tropically. Leave em out!

And if either or is because of budget, buy the trident and have both!

Now is not a bad time to start a layer on a elm....

See Peter tea' s blog for a wealth of trident info.

Where would I find Peter tea's blog?

 

[Poink88]

Where would I find Peter tea's blog?

http://peterteabonsai.wordpress.com/post-index/

 

[M. Frary]

Go with the elm for the reasons listed above. They do turn a nice buttery yellow in the fall.

 

[coh]

Nothing against the yellow fall color of elms, but when people ask for something with "fall color", I generally take that to mean orange, red, something more than yellow. I guess it's up to the original poster to decide what kind of fall color he is looking for. As others have said, why not get an elm and a maple. You know you're going to eventually anyway! Just be aware that not all maples have orange/red type fall coloring.

Chris

 

[JudyB]

And if you do go with maple (and elm, why not!) I would suggest starting with a trident or if you go with Japanese maple, look for a straight up Palmatum, they are easier than the fancy cultivars that are out there. Do start thinking about how you will overwinter these sooner rather than later...

 

[rat fink]

Go with the chinese elm.

 

[vlapinta]

And if you do go with maple (and elm, why not!) I would suggest starting with a trident or if you go with Japanese maple, look for a straight up Palmatum, they are easier than the fancy cultivars that are out there. Do start thinking about how you will overwinter these sooner rather than later...

Judy B how do they need to be stored in winter?

Nothing against the yellow fall color of elms, but when people ask for something with "fall color", I generally take that to mean orange, red, something more than yellow. I guess it's up to the original poster to decide what kind of fall color he is looking for. As others have said, why not get an elm and a maple. You know you're going to eventually anyway! Just be aware that not all maples have orange/red type fall coloring.

Chris

Chris I am looking at Tridents. Don't they all have the same fall coloring?

 

[coh]

Chris I am looking at Tridents. Don't they all have the same fall coloring?

I don't know...the one I have exhibited very good fall color last year (see images below), but since most of the tridents around are probably seedling grown (except for some selected cultivars), there's the usual seedling variability. I haven't seen enough different tridents in the fall to know how variable the color is from one to another. Anyone? Are they pretty reliable?

Also...I didn't acquire the tree until last spring, so I don't know how representative the fall color was last year...time will tell!

Chris

 

[sorce]

I can not paste a link. Google peter tea bonsai. It is on wordpress.

 

[vlapinta]

I don't know...the one I have exhibited very good fall color last year (see images below), but since most of the tridents around are probably seedling grown (except for some selected cultivars), there's the usual seedling variability. I haven't seen enough different tridents in the fall to know how variable the color is from one to another. Anyone? Are they pretty reliable?

Also...I didn't acquire the tree until last spring, so I don't know how representative the fall color was last year...time will tell!

Chris

Simply beautiful and exactly what I am looking for!

 

[Paradox]

Elms can be quite lovely and easy to care for.