Collected Chinese Elm and Water Elm.

[RobertB]

So they are clearing land like crazy around my neighborhood and my youngest son, age 4, wanted to go dig up some bonsais.. . I had found a few decent elms in the fall around and we went right to them. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of them being pulled or prepped for pot (my son was ready to go inside and I was trying to finish fast). Root ball on the large Chinese elm was very nice. Very nice nebari which i covered with soil.

The water elm was growing partially in a stream where the roots near the trunk were basically growing in leaves pilled up on the side of the stream. We will see how this one does. Had a very large, long taproot extending to the side of the stream that I had to cut to get into pot.

Water Elm.



Pretty nice large chinese elm. I think i chopped it at 18".



Dont mind the other items in back. These are some of my sons plants.

 

[RobertB]

Here is a photo of the water elm i found from our scouting trip in the fall.

 

[Dav4]

Love that water elm

 

[RobertB]

Thank you. It might make a nice shohin one day.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

You are not going to be happy with that elm down the road because that long awkward straight upper trunk won't work with any design. If it were my tree, I'd let it grow like mad for a year, and then I'd air-layer the upper part off at the blue line in the spring... Do a diagonal air-layer girdle and you'll have two interesting trees when you are done!

 

[RobertB]

good suggestion. I could probably just chop it now. Its only been like two days since collected. They grow all over the place here. There are some beasts around here. This one was pretty unique however.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

good suggestion. I could probably just chop it now. Its only been like two days since collected. They grow all over the place here. There are some beasts around here. This one was pretty unique however.

If you just collected it, and the material is common, chop away. If possible, make a concave cut (instead of just a flat saw cut). Just leave enough bark between your 2nd cut and the top cut so you don't get die-back and lose part of the trunk. With elms, less of a problem, but really important to seal those cuts (as you have).

 

[RobertB]

Good info. Unfortunately I don't have a concave cutter yet, but I bet I can come up with something. I have lots of woodworking tools and fairly handy. Will chop in morning.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Good info. Unfortunately I don't have a concave cutter yet, but I bet I can come up with something. I have lots of woodworking tools and fairly handy. Will chop in morning.

It is best if you can concave cut the scar site... because they it will heal flatter than if you cut if flat... in which case it will heal with a bulge.

 

[RobertB]

Ok, here is the update..

Top chop and hole drilled to help with carving. I dont currently a concave cutting tool. Its on my list. I cant stop buying soil, trees and etc, long enough to purchase a concave cutter. So the preps are a little ugly, but i think the will work. I tried to focus the most on the sides since those will be the first parts to start healing. I can redress the centers later.



Final prep for top chop.


I went ahead to work on the other chops too. Its only been like two days since collected. I guess this is 2.5 days.

Bottom, very large chop..



Top side chop and prep.



Front 1:



Front 2, if i can get this enormous scare to heal. Or it could always be a feature.



Top view.

 

[RobertB]

Well the Chinese elm has two buds that just started to push. I noticed these about 4 days ago and they are slowing pushing. no update yet on the water elm.

 

[Giga]

Well the Chinese elm has two buds that just started to push. I noticed these about 4 days ago and they are slowing pushing. no update yet on the water elm.View attachment 178589

this is my favorite thing about doing bonsai is when they start to push new growth. It's just so damn Zen lol

 

[RobertB]

Yes I agree. I have 9 trees that I have collected this late winter and another now 6 major repots that have been performed, doing major root reductions. I am sweating thinking about them and checking on them 5 times a day. My wife is going to through them all away probably if it keeps up.

 

[fviljoen963]

Once its survived its first season.. the chinese elm might benefit from the same treatment?

 

[RobertB]

I completely agree. It growing buds like crazy, so I'm going to see how it flushes out this year. I will likely be at least cutting something off the top. Going to work real hard to develop a large thick first branch while trying to help with the bottom taper.

Once it flushes out some more, I will post some early summer progress pics.

The other elm has a few buds but I think I might have rechopped that too a little to close. I'm hoping that more buds start developing now that I have three starting to extend.

 

[RobertB]

Here are a couple pics.

First the water elm with its three buds. Hopefully this starts popping soon.



Here is a pic of the large side branch cut on the Chinese elm. So much for the Duct Caulk Wound Seal... Dam... Vigor.

 

[RobertB]

Well the chinese elm is growing like nothing i have ever seen before. It has budded all around the chop sites and all along the trunk. Awesome right.

The water elm is another story. There are shoots shooting up from one side of the base. Hopefully the main part of the trunk its dead. If it is, maybe i can work with it after it grows some or just throw out in few years.

Chinese Elm


Water Elm.

 

[RobertB]

The Chinese elm continues to grow like crazy.

Anyone care to offer their opinion on when I can remove some of the unwanted shoots and wire the shoots I want? I did apply a guide wire to a branch coming off the side that I want to use. That's it though. Also, just started fertilizer this past weekend.



The water elm shoots died from something, then I set the plant aside, now its coming up from the other side of the trunk. So I put it out in the sun again. We will see what happens to it.