Leatherbacks Ulmus parvifolia 'seiju'

[leatherback]

Guess this will stay with me long-term so a thread for this tree is in order.

I today bought this Seiju chinese elm online.
It will be shipped in a few weeks, first of all after the next hot period, as I do not know how quick I can get to the mail.
Better not take risk.

Lets see how this develops. I am thinking shortening it a bit, layering the top out.

Anybody experience with Seiju elm: How do they close larger cuts?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I only have a little one, and if anything it healed the cuts a little too well. The scar looks course because it healed over so quickly.

 

[Shibui]

Anybody experience with Seiju elm: How do they close larger cuts?

Seiju is a cultivar of Ulmus parvifolia so same as for standard Chinese elm. Cuts heal no problem if you can allow some growth.
New shoot growth is also similar to standard Ulmus parvifolia - long and straight if allowed to do their own thing.
Whoever developed that trunk knew what they were doing to get low bends. Subsequent growth appears less well managed so longer straight sections with almost no taper. Cut hard and cut often to get better bends and better taper in developing Seiju trunk and branches.

 

[leatherback]

Whoever developed that trunk knew what they were doing to get low bends. Subsequent growth appears less well managed so longer straight sections with almost no taper.

yup, my thought too.
Going to look for a new trunkline in the red circle. Probably 2 airlayers at grey. The top for a shohin (A friend of mine grow shohin, I am sure he would love the challenge) and the other for further ground growing.

Cuts heal no problem if you can allow some growth.

Cut hard and cut often

OK. Sounds like a wide, flat container for a few years, and grow a bush first.

 

[Cadillactaste]

You got it!!! Super stoked for you...what great potential. I will be enjoying see where you take this one.

 

[leatherback]

Going to look for a new trunkline in the red circle. Probably 2 airlayers at grey. The top for a shohin (A friend of mine grow shohin, I am sure he would love the challenge) and the other for further ground growing.

Odd, the image never came through..
But.. Not deciding untill I have it in my hands. Might be a lot more movement in tpp than visible from this angle. This is a 5 year growing out project though. Not intending a quick-to-be-pretty..

what great potential.

Thats what I thought too! Not just a cutting quick grown, but a trunkline that someone actually spent a bit of energy on. For 140,= E I thought.. That is reasonably priced, even for an elm!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thats what I thought too! Not just a cutting quick grown, but a trunkline that someone actually spent a bit of energy on. For 140,= E I thought.. That is reasonably priced, even for an elm!

They practically were giving it away for that price! Definitely a take home price easily without batting an eye! Congrats again. That trunkline is a dream.

 

[leatherback]

Today was the day! Collected the parcel from the mail. Unpacked. And am happy with it. Leaves are indeed a lot smaller than any elm I have in my garden. So great! Pruned today, took about 45 match-sized cuttings and leave the rest for spring. Will need layering and reduction.

 

[JeffS73]

Excited to watch this one develop under your care Jelle!

 

[Attmos]

Guess this will stay with me long-term so a thread for this tree is in order.

I today bought this Seiju chinese elm online.
It will be shipped in a few weeks, first of all after the next hot period, as I do not know how quick I can get to the mail.
Better not take risk.

Lets see how this develops. I am thinking shortening it a bit, layering the top out.

Anybody experience with Seiju elm: How do they close larger cuts?

View attachment 605891

I've seen this zig-zag shape being suggested by several experienced artists here for a variety of trees, and it does present eye-candy, especially after years of development. But...

Do you think the zig-zag shape supersedes an elm's natural shape when making bonsai? ...or the natural shape of trees in general?

It looks like it does actually give you several different directions to take for further growth...

 

[Betula1]

Today was the day! Collected the parcel from the mail. Unpacked. And am happy with it. Leaves are indeed a lot smaller than any elm I have in my garden. So great! Pruned today, took about 45 match-sized cuttings and leave the rest for spring. Will need layering and reduction.

Seems like a bargain !Where did you buy it from?!

 

[Wulfskaar]

Do you think the zig-zag shape supersedes an elm's natural shape when making bonsai? ...or the natural shape of trees in general?

One practical thing it does is squish a lot more trunk and growth into a shorter shape. If this tree's trunk was straight, it would be much taller.

The zig-zag shape is odd to my eye when considering a natural shape, but a lot of bonsai is not based on natural shapes. Instead, they are based on shapes that might be pleasing to the eye in an artistic sense. I see it as simplifying the design almost to a cartoon level, like one might see in a bonsai logo. Generally speaking, I prefer natural tree shapes, but I can also really appreciate the classic bonsai shape. I'm even planning on doing some.

Because of the shape of this tree, it also has many options. I can't wait to see what Leatherback does with it!

 

[leatherback]

Happy, healthy and WAY overgrown!

 

[leatherback]

Excited to watch this one develop under your care Jelle!

Because of the shape of this tree, it also has many options. I can't wait to see what Leatherback does with it!

Plan: Layer at the base which has ugly inverse swelling. Position the tree more at an angle reducing the zigzag movement. Then reduce the top to improve taper and add a directional change. In the end the tree will still be the current size, so some growing-out is eexpected.

Do you think the zig-zag shape supersedes an elm's natural shape when making bonsai? ...or the natural shape of trees in general?

I like extreme directional changes in the tree, creating a sense of struggle in life, adding to the idea of age, in my view. That being said, I can appreciate elegant smooth trunklines too. In this case, this is what I ran into.

Seems like a bargain !Where did you buy it from?!

It popped up in my ebay feed. Just a random trader; Never dealt with before, but smooth sailing.