corkbark elm - advice on care, thoughts on styling

[martian_turf]

i bought this cork elm from meehan's in what i admit was a bit of an impulse buy (i will also admit i'm a relative beginner at bonsai). that said, i see a lot of potential in this because of the trunk. i 1) have two visions for that potential and 2) really don't want to accidentally kill this tree. i've heard seiju/cork elms (i don't know the specific species for this tree) are a little less resilient than their elm cousins, so trying to double down on that second point while seeking advice on both.

for context, my climate (northern virginia) is pretty much the same as where this tree grew up, and right now it sits outside my door in a spot that probably gets at most half a day (usually less) of full sun (mornings), facing south but toward a relatively dense line of tall-ish trees.

some questions, hopefully not too many. i've looked through countless bonsainut forums and r/bonsai but can't seem to find consensus info on this kind of stuff.

1. is late winter (february/march) the best time to repot? this tree seems to have been slip-potted in its current container, given that the rootball soil is sandier/fine organic particles, different from the surrounding soil.
2. is it OK to leave out in winter (I assume so, NoVA winters are fairly mild and rarely see snow)?
3. how often should I water? 3 times a week? 2 (given soil isn't completely 'proper' bonsai soil? should i be applying fertilizer, and if so, what kind and how often?
4. is pruning best left for later in the fall, say late october/early november? and how much pruning would be appropriate here?
5. i feel the urge, but do i need to wire at this stage to move it toward what i'm envisioning? branches are pretty twiggish...
6. there are some round black spots on a lot of leaves. you can see it in the bright yellow leaf on the bottom left branch. is this a fungus, and should i be concerned?

and lastly, all feedback on designs i drew (or if you have your own suggestions) would be very much appreciated. the first one is a bit one-dimensional, so assume that one would have some more back branches for depth.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!
(1) Best time to repot is in early spring after the risk of a frost has passed. Last year we had a late freeze in March (in NC) that harmed many of my trees. So I would target April-ish.
(2) Yes you should keep it outside, but you may want to give it some minimal protection if a harsh storm is approaching (like sub-10F temps). This may entail nothing more than setting the pot on the earthen ground, and mulching around the base of the pot for insulation.
(3) Water when the soil is dry on the surface but still moist underneath. Avoid saturated soil - but it is more important to never let the soil get bone dry. The tree will have different watering needs based on time of year, growth activity of the tree, temperature, rainfall, sunlight, etc. My trees might require twice daily watering during the peak of the summer... but twice weekly watering as we head into the fall. It is a little harder with trees in ceramic pots, but for trees that are still in plastic nursery pots I can tell if the tree needs to be watered almost instantly by picking up the pot and feeling how heavy it is.
(4) You can prune just about any time of the year, depending on what you are doing. Heavy pruning is best left to late winter or early summer - in order to give the tree time to respond prior to the next fall/winter season. Light pruning, however, can take place at any time.
(5) Deciduous trees are often pruned and wired in the late winter - since it is much easier to see the branch structure. However the branches will be stiffer and more brittle, so big bends are best left for when the tree is actively growing and the branches are supple.
(6) Those are ok. May simply be a result of the tree having minor shipping stress, or simply dropping old interior leaves it no longer is using.

When I look at your tree you will have one significant design challenge. Much of the trunk caliper near the base is the result of a large wound in the trunk. This wound should eventually close and heal over, but it is causing a large lump in the base of the tree (like a python swallowing a watermelon). You will want to think about how to address that as you move forward with your tree.

Consider also one other thing. This is an elm. Elms in nature have a very specific growth style. Your sketches show you laying out a design like an oak. It is a classical design pattern - and many bonsai follow this design pattern regardless of species of tree. However take a look at some photos of big old elms in nature. Some may have an oak-like beaten down structure, but others will have an open, vase-like outline. Try to find a real tree photo to use as inspiration for your design - rather than designing your tree to look like a bonsai. Over time your bonsai garden will look more interesting because your trees will all have different personalities instead of being designed to fit the same design stereotype.

 

[martian_turf]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice! i'll leave off heavy pruning/wiring to late winter. on the wound, is that a feature of the tree that should be preserved, or one to just let heal over? i admit trying to keep it visible limited the number of fronts i could play with.

also, on styling, appreciate the comments on drawing inspiration from real trees rather than other bonsai. from looking at pictures, elms tend to either have the look above or below -- craggedy, dense, with a tendency for branches to reach skyward before yielding to gravity:



based on that, i chose a new front that uses the above look for inspiration, while mitigating the bulge/hiding the wound with some movement:

 

[martian_turf]

one last question: should i keep the large branch at the base of the tree to help thicken it? i'd say it has a full 1/4 to 1/3 of the tree's existing foliage. would keeping also add some character in the final 'look'?

 

[Davidlpf]

Consider also one other thing. This is an elm. Elms in nature have a very specific growth style. Your sketches show you laying out a design like an oak. It is a classical design pattern - and many bonsai follow this design pattern regardless of species of tree. However take a look at some photos of big old elms in nature. Some may have an oak-like beaten down structure, but others will have an open, vase-like outline. Try to find a real tree photo to use as inspiration for your design - rather than designing your tree to look like a bonsai. Over time your bonsai garden will look more interesting because your trees will all have different personalities instead of being designed to fit the same design stereotype.

Totally agree!, as one wise men said once" The object is not to make the tree look like a bonsai, but to make the bonsai look like a tree"


In this gallery click,click there are stunning examples of different styles, both deciduous and coniferous, every one with its own personality. I believe that worth to take a look.





Cheers.

 

[Shibui]

should i keep the large branch at the base of the tree to help thicken it? i'd say it has a full 1/4 to 1/3 of the tree's existing foliage. would keeping also add some character in the final

Any low branch will help add thickness to the trunk below where it joins. There's not a lot of trunk below that branch but it will thicken the base.
Low branches/ trunks can definitely be part of a bonsai design. Whether to have one is a personal choice so not really something for the internet community to make for you.
I add my preference for the ascending branch style for elms too.

That latest sketch looks like a great model for elm based on this trunk but I note there's no large branch on the outside of the bend and the existing main trunk is much stronger than the sketch. Drawing a great model is one thing. Making the tree do it is another thing entirely. Granted it could be done but may take a very long time to get all the elements developed.
Consider using that small trunk/ low branch to provide the left side foliage mass in your design instead of trying to develop a new branch at that bend.
I think the upper trunk probably needs a major height reduction to get the branching your sketch requires but Chinese elms are great at growing back after a chop.