Developing Zelkova

MrWunderful

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I am creating this thread to document some techniques I am trying to Develop Zelkova specifically for bonsai. My Goal is not only refined trees for myself, but also quality bonsai deciduous stock for others (eventually).

This thread will mostly be focused on growing in ground, and from seed but I also will showcase some of my "in pot" Grey Bark elm specifically here (nothing special yet)

Goals:
-Develop easy, fast technique for developing nebari on grey bark Elm (tourniquet/tile planting/ground layer etc.)
-Develop "fastest" techniques for different styles (Formal upright, Informal, group plantings etc.)
-Discuss Nuances of Zelkova Serrata

Background:
-I have been doing Bonsai for about 10 years now, just started doing intensives and classes with a local bonsai professional. I have a normal 9-5 job, all this is done for hobby.
-I have my own growing beds, as well as a significant in ground space at my father in-laws (who also happens to be into gardening as well)
-I have about 50 zelkova ranging from 1-3 years that I am experimenting on but another 200 That I sowed this year (I also have other deciduous too- a few hundred linden, maple and others but those are for their own threads)

Disclaimer:
I live in Zone 10a, California, SF bay area near the coast. Its almost always cold to fair and very, very foggy-Things might need to change based on your location.
I do not claim that I am the first, or only person to try these. Most are common techniques, well known to most growers. I also will not claim that these are the best techniques, but am open to discussion.

Hopefully Documenting things here will help people start developing quality deciduous pre bonsai stock for themselves and others. I will try to update as much as possible, and welcome feedback/questions/discussion and help with my terrible photography.
 

MrWunderful

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From Seed:

I literally do nothing with elm seeds. No cold stratify, no scarification, no soaking. I have tried all these things, and I don't see enough of a difference to warrant the hassle. If you are really concerned about getting 91% instead of 89% on a hand full of seeds, then it might be worth it to you.

This is my first batch I planted (Dec 2018). Just threw them on the dirt in December and threw some dirt over them.
After sprouting:
IMG_8638.JPG


Let them grow a year, then Spread them out.
Turned to this, which brings us to now:
411.JPG

I fed them pretty aggressively with monthly handfuls of cottonseed meal, and chemical ferts this year.

This whole time I was thinning them out a bit. Some I just ripped out, lopped everything off except for some small roots in correct locations in the middle of summer and threw them in a flat to see if they would live (they still are alive, will post pics once Its time to repot in a few years.)

A few I re-potted normally, just at odd times to see if they will live- None have actually failed yet, but we will see come spring.

Here they are after this years winter thinning:
Sorry for imgur hosted pic, sometimes I have difficulty uploading to site


 

MrWunderful

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That is the pic That should have been at the end of my last post^^^^ Here are some of the techniques I used:

Standard Washers:
QgvNFoDm.jpg

KTBltBam.jpg


This is a part that electricians use to close junction boxes. Its called a "4-11/16 blank with a 1/2" KO"
XMFvi30m.jpg


Standard Tile planting:
9SEcIjVm.jpg

NmxFx2qm.jpg

gYGPOEUm.jpg

gYGPOEUm.jpg


Here The results of a tourniquet, going directly down into a shallow pot (100% akadama)
SAcjjNcm.jpg

qXmK39zm.jpg


Another wire tourniquet
7TtdDdim.jpg


I have a numbering system down, I just need to update it so I can start keeping track. Been re-potting like crazy here.

Notes:
I find all these methods much faster than air-layering, but not sure if nebari is superior yet. I will be documenting ground layers this year.
 

MrWunderful

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Good luck to ya! Build some brooms!

Thank you Adair- I am actually starting to document building a correct formal broom, vs an "informal" broom (and by document I mean a few pics and some notes)
 

MrWunderful

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What do you use as soil in the beds ?
Mostly a Custom potting mix and horticultural lava (same lava I use in pots) My father in-law owns a landscape supply. I also throw old inorganic bonsai pot soil in there because I have been making my own for a few years now.
 

Tieball

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Well done. In my climate...I have not had great Zelkova growth results. Slower than slow really.
 

MrWunderful

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Not much to report 9 mos later. Just letting stuff run, getting quite a bit on some trunks and twisting some up really hard.

This one is Still going to get chopped for some taper.

DF944C4D-DECC-4085-B90B-48D2F4AE599B.jpeg

This one flares out another 5/8” under soil. Not bad for 2 yrs from seed. Might try an extreme chop (2” above nebari? 😈) to build some aggressive sumo style Zelkovas, which I havent seen much of. Maybe the swelling from repeated huge chops doesnt work with that style, we will see.

50652D69-B145-43C7-A7AD-83FC554AF2E2.jpeg
 

Adair M

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Brooms of all sizes are rare in the US.

Fog good Shohin brooms, a trunk of 2 1/2 to 3 inches is good. Trunks of 4 to 5 inches make good small bonsai. For a 28 inch tall bonsai, a 10 to 12 inch trunk works well.

That’s for “normally proportioned” brooms. If you choose to make “sumo brooms”, you can make them any height you want, but the trunks would be really fat. These, I would consider as “novelty” trees. For instance, if I were making a traditional Shohin display using a box stand, I wouldn’t choose a “sumo” zelkova. But, that’s just me.
 

MrWunderful

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Brooms of all sizes are rare in the US.

Fog good Shohin brooms, a trunk of 2 1/2 to 3 inches is good. Trunks of 4 to 5 inches make good small bonsai. For a 28 inch tall bonsai, a 10 to 12 inch trunk works well.

That’s for “normally proportioned” brooms. If you choose to make “sumo brooms”, you can make them any height you want, but the trunks would be really fat. These, I would consider as “novelty” trees. For instance, if I were making a traditional Shohin display using a box stand, I wouldn’t choose a “sumo” zelkova. But, that’s just me.

you are reffering to height, correct? Because a 2-3 inch thick trunked broom in shohin size seems pretty exaggerated if I am picturing it right 😂😂
 

MrWunderful

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Some very vigorous coarse growth this late in the year (with backbudding) on my in-ground zelkovas. They are about 11’ tall if straightened out. 1B958209-21CD-4598-B3FC-47288415C31E.jpeg

I’ve always wondered why the vigorous young growth like that comes out deep red, anyone have the biology reason why?
 

AlainK

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I’ve always wondered why the vigorous young growth like that comes out deep red, anyone have the biology reason why?

No, but there are now many posts about Zelkova and various techniques, from cuttings to air-layers and how to maintain them.

I think it's a great species to work with.
 

MrWunderful

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No, but there are now many posts about Zelkova and various techniques, from cuttings to air-layers and how to maintain them.

I think it's a great species to work with.
I agree. They respond very well to every “deciduous” technique, grow like weeds and can withstand severe root pruning.
 

AlainK

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They respond very well to every “deciduous” technique,

Even better most of the time, except for healing wounds : they tend to make bulges where branches were cut, don't you think so ?

PS : I have two left in the ground, one which is about 12 metres tall (about 13 yards), another one that I regularly prune to 1.50 metres (5 feet). Like most deciduous, if you don't prune the roots, which is the case when a tree is in the ground, the new shoots and leaves are very big.

In 2008, June 24th, I took pictures of the big one, the one that was pruned in the winter and one in a pot :

zelko_f1.jpg zelko_f2.jpg zelko_f3.jpg
 
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MrWunderful

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Even better most of the time, except for healing wounds : they tend to make bulges where branches were cut, don't you think so ?
Absolutely. Probably the worst aspect of the species. I think with aggressive carving of large chops and wrapping with rubbertape/clamps etc can solve that but it requires effort and work.

Drilling in the center of a broom style then wrapping to contain swelling is a technique that I am going to try to develop more this upcoming spring.

I am also going to try yearly chops on aggressive ground grown stock, because it ends up being a good balance between rampant growth and wounds being too big. Like 2-3-4 year chops.
 

leatherback

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I am also going to try yearly chops on aggressive ground grown stock, because it ends up being a good balance between rampant growth and wounds being too big. Like 2-3-4 year chops.
I have decided to grow one with only sacrifice branches, removed each year.
 
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