Cork elm stalled project.
- Thread starter Smoke
- Start date
Tentakelaertje
Omono
Lol. It's way neater than I thought it would be, gr8 work!
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
I like the result. You don't see that often.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Some carving, finished the wire, re-did the guy wires and planted into this Japanese nanban pot.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I commented on this in the other thread, I would consider doing a hollow at the base, taking off the lowest left branch, and leaning it more right. But I like it also as it is. Some things are just as they are, and don't need to be what they are not. (I know, crazy talk...)
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
congrats, wonderful tree. Letting a tree mature for years before making a decision does pay off.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
I agree about the left branch, not only is it a pocket branch but it competes with the right branch. My idea was to grow the left branch longer, which I couldn't do with the right branch, and remove the right branch.
This whole project was rather spur of the moment since when I started the thread If the tree fell off the bench and dried up and died I wouldn't have cared much. Since then I have renewed interest in the tree and will work on it for a few more years to see what it does. Besides, I still need to see what it looks like with leaves!
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Curious about this....elaborate reasoning?
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
- Messages
- 13,803
- Reaction score
- 33,994
- USDA Zone
- 6a
I rather like that lower left branch. If this were my tree, I'd definitely consider some carving to the trunk, but I'd consider letting that lower left branch really take off to become the sashi eda branch, the branch that defines and solidifies the movement of the tree. I think if it was much longer, it wouldn't really be competing with that right branch, and frankly, at that point I'd be more inclined to lose the right branch as it looks like you've got other branches on the right you could grow about to compensate for it's loss.. This tree is getting cooler by the minute!
j evans
Omono
Less than one day from start of discussion to action, that is what I lack, the ability to make a decision and follow through. I take years... Good Work, I like it.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
To make it feel a bit more... uncomfortable. That's probably the wrong descriptive, but the right feeling. I think if you did lean to the right, then did what @Dav4 is suggesting, letting the left one(s) grow, and take off the right one, it might be cool. Would it also speak of a tree that leaned over and the heavier branching is keeping it stabile?
Who cares what it looks like with leaves???
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Bolero
Omono
I liked the way it looked in the OP 2016 version, would have liked to have seen it in Foliage...
I also like it in your last picture with all the lower branching cut off...but not as much.....
I think that some times we over think these Bonsai trees in our attempts to create a "Better Bonsai"
However beauty is in the eyes of the Beholder and I applaud your Creative Gardening...
I also like it in your last picture with all the lower branching cut off...but not as much.....
I think that some times we over think these Bonsai trees in our attempts to create a "Better Bonsai"
However beauty is in the eyes of the Beholder and I applaud your Creative Gardening...
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Who cares what it looks like with leaves???
Well I have to look at it for 10 months with leaves so it better be good!
Velodog2
Chumono
You have made this into a beautiful tree without a doubt. Unfortunately it doesn't look like an elm to me. If it was a larch it would be perfect. It's not really a criticism because there was really no way this tree was going in any other direction.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Very timely....that was going to be my next thread.
Steve Kudela
Shohin
Smoke I love what you've done.............................as I study this one, I think remove the lower left branch, but let the back branch grow out just a touch more to take its place visually. Just my little 2 cents worth. One way or another, I think that you have improved the tree..................SK
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
In a perfect world you would be correct. The first branch on the left is a pocket branch. Growing the right branch longer would make the tree off balance. I need the left branch longer and the right branch gone.
Kinda crude but maybe the idea comes thru
Last edited:
Steve Kudela
Shohin
Not to be argumentative, I wasn't thinking of extending the right side low branch. the lowest branch on the tree is a back branch, i was thinking of it being extended just a little bit further to the left. The left side branch above the pocket branch appears to have plenty of downward pull to balance it. In conjunction with the surface roots it seems to balance just fine to my eye. Who knows, maybe I'm more unbalanced than I realize...............SK
Velodog2
Chumono
I don't really think the first left branch qualifies as a "pocket" branch at all. The section of trunk it is on is actually convex in relation to it, even if the larger curve is concave. It just isn't bothersome to me and the balance it provides more than compensates. There is a large classic pine bonsai from Japan in the National Arbiretum with a horrible pocket branch vastly worse than this that bothers me every time I see it, but it's necessary to the design so it stays.
That the first right branch appears to forms a bar with that left branch is worse IMO. But even so, the balance is worth it. None of the virts are as good. I think the right decisions were made and I'd leave it.
That the first right branch appears to forms a bar with that left branch is worse IMO. But even so, the balance is worth it. None of the virts are as good. I think the right decisions were made and I'd leave it.
Last edited:
