Chinese Elm repot- did I kill it?

[Eric Group]

Well I had this cool elm just sitting around since a buddy gave it to me about a year and a half ago.. IT grew... kind of slow last year, but it WAS growing... and if I left it alone, it would run a new shoot to 6-7.. leaves.. not super vigorous, but healthy enough.. I think I have posted pics of it in the past, but The "issue" with this tree are the giant tuberous roots swimming around the soil's surface like a snake wrapped around it's base! I was an original feature for sure, but not natural looking at all and kind of displeasing to my eye. So, I had been planning to look at options for removing them when I repotted. Thinking perhaps I should ground layer the tree above them.. something... Well today was the day to repot!

Here is the tree before:

Kind of hard to see the roots really well, but you can see the undulating surface of the soil under all that moss... that is the massive tubers that this tree calls roots. Something additional to add to the equation of why they needed to be removed- a squirrel apparently thought they looked tasty and took a big ole bite out of them in more than one place!! Even uglier after that...

So the dilemma was that the MAJORITY of the root mass seemed to be attached to these roots (ROOT as it turned out to be just one big ole root wrapping around the base of the tree!).. At first I thought I was not going to be able to remove it because I wasn't sure ANY of the roots were attached to the tree below this massive tuber.. I cut one smalle chnk at a time and found there were some roots below making a somewhat pleasant start to a nebari... So I went for it! The question is... do you think I took too much? If this were a JM I wouldn't be concerned at all really... I do not have as much experience with Chinese Elms though... So I am a little concerned!

Here is the big cut! (already posted this pic in smoke's thread about root cuttings)

 

[Eric Group]

There were some roots left! Not many, but I felt it was enough to sustain the tree? Obviously I would have preferred to have a few more... The other thing I noticed when I got in there was a little bit of ROT starting... A thick root had gotten chocked out by the larger one inside under the base of the tree, died and rotted away causing some black rot to build up under there along the inside of the big root. It really NEEDED to be removed.. Not just aesthetically but for the health of the tree I think.

You can see the finished image here. I kept trying to get it to lean farther to the right as I potted it, but there were few roots to hold it up on that left side and I just could not get it to stay there. So, this is the projected future angle. I potted into a coarse mix of what is basically Boon's mix: Akadama, Lava, Pumice, trying to encourage some root growth. I picked the largest of the three pots I was considering.. Went with the bonsai tray instead of going back to a nursery can as I figure this tree is ready aesthetically to be in a bonsai tray and This will allow me to better manage the roots as they develop. Last pic shows I even doubled the wire on the right side of the root mass trying to get it to pull down on that side a little more to get the lean I wanted, but just couldn't quite get it yet. After the roots fill in, it should be fine.


So, let me hear it... did I kill this poor tree? I think it will be fine, just curious what others think!

 

[garywood]

Eric,THAT was probably the best thing that has happened to the tree to make it a bonsai since it's beginning.

 

[Kodama16]

It be fine. And later you can sell it to me.... Or trade. I love it

 

[M. Frary]

You have enough roots left in that tree for 2 trees.
Cool root cutting too!

 

[Eric Group]

Thanks guys... I felt OK with it, but I still freak when removing that much from almost any tree (Again, except maybe a healthy Maple)!

 

[Eric Group]

It be fine. And later you can sell it to me.... Or trade. I love it

Thank you, this is one of my favorites... The day I got it from him it went pretty close to the top of my favorite trees list! I have been fortunate to meet some really great people here in SC who are always willing to help me develop in bonsai, sometimes by giving me trees, or selling them to me at very fair prices!

 

[garywood]

Eric, if you use a moisture retentive material like shredded sphagnum moss around the base it will help encourage new roots at the base.

 

[M. Frary]

It is cool. Did you look clisely at that clump stump I dug up? You can see little tiny feeder roots on the thing. Way less than you have. I'm fairly confident it will pull through. They don't need much.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Good. Looks like it's just about to pop everywhere. Post a photo when it's sporting 1000 cabbages, probably around Monday.

 

[Eric Group]

Eric, if you use a moisture retentive material like shredded sphagnum moss around the base it will help encourage new roots at the base.

Thanks Gary, I did add a little of the moss from the previous pot, but more for looks and to help keep the soil from washing out. I tried not to put much around the base to keep it from covering the trunk like it had been doing previously.. I might put a little sphagnum over the top for a couple months to encourage more root growth though, that isn't a bad idea at all! I buried it a little deeper than normal hoping to get some new ones to take and to get the ones that are there to really take off...

 

[edprocoat]

Its an Chinese Elm man, it will not even skip a beat !

ed

 

[Smoke]

That looks like a pretty big gash. I have a guy, a Mexican fella, we call him "El Rooto", well at least the ladies like him.

Send it to me and I will have El Rooto take a look.

 

[Smoke]

I agree with Gary, It will flourish now.

 

[Eric Group]

That looks like a pretty big gash. I have a guy, a Mexican fella, we call him "El Rooto", well at least the ladies like him.

Send it to me and I will have El Rooto take a look.

Lmao! So, let me get this straight.. El Rooto likes the "pretty big gash" and the ladies like him too? Sounds like a match made in heaven!

Smoke- what do you think about those root cuttings? That big one ought to make something interesting right?

Thanks for all the comments everyone- I really feel better about this one now! I felt like I did the right thing at first then I kind of let a little fear creep in that I went too hard... I needed this reassurance that I did the right thing. My goal every time I touch one of my trees is to make it better, and I think I did that today. This tree is one of my favorites and I just felt bad that it has been sitting around in some old plastic 8 inch bulb pot. It needed a better home, it needed major root work, and it needed a little hair cut. It got all that today, and I am still thinking of shortening the top to get more of a rounded apex. That should add a little more age to the image and better match the chunky little trunk.

I will update as it progresses.

 

[Smoke]

I think I need a better view of the root, but its probably planted by now. Don't worry your going to need a project to uncover and share here next year and this is one of them. We can see what we have together.

I am happy to see someone follow some projects I post. I love to see what others get too.

 

[erb.75]

Good. Looks like it's just about to pop everywhere. Post a photo when it's sporting 1000 cabbages, probably around Monday.

hahaha they do look like cabbages...it's funny because it's true

 

[Eric Group]

Poking around the garden today and checked it- the buds are still green and swelling more on this guy. Looks like he hasn't missed a beat so far! Excited for the future of this tree and all the root cuttings!

 

[LanceMac10]

Nice job, Eric. Chinese elms ARE resilient, for sure. Even though, (cough, ahem), I've killed a couple.....I cheated and brought this one in a little early.

 

[M. Frary]

hahaha they do look like cabbages...it's funny because it's true

Yes they do at first.