My Ume

[Dav4]

So, I'm sitting on the deck this Saturday afternoon, having a beer and enjoying the 70F weather and the latest Bonsai Focus, when I realize that this is the time of year for Ume to flower. So, I pulled this one out of the leaf pile under the bench and took this picture. I'm aiming for a taller, gnarlier literati type image, so I'm planning to let this one grow out a newer, higher apex and thicken the branches up a bit. It will be going into a bigger pot next month.

Dave

 

[DaveV]

Looks nice Dav4. Why do you feel it needs a bigger pot? I personally think it looks big enough. Nice tree!

 

[Dav4]

Looks nice Dav4. Why do you feel it needs a bigger pot?

Thanks for the post, Dave. The pot it's in is big, but not big enough to let the roots grow unchecked for 2-3 years. I really want to let her rip growth wise for a few years, so I'm going to provide a bit more leg room.

 

[bonhe]

Hi Dave, its flowers have pink color, don't they? I believe it will become a very nice tree.
Bonhe

 

[Dav4]

Thanks, Bonhe. Yes, the flowers are a light pink. I don't know the variety...it was purchased as bonsai stock somewhere in CA and shipped to New England Bonsai Gardens. I bought it on discount because the entire apex had been broken off in transit. I'm hoping to regrow that lost apex.

Dave

 

[Dav4]

The flowers are really popping now. I have to enjoy them now, as they will be gone within the next week.

 

[Dav4]

With the cold weather we've had until recently, my ume is still blooming. Thought I'd take a few more pics before the inevitable.

 

[bonhe]

Very nice flower.
Bonhe

 

[milehigh_7]

Very nice! Thanks!

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Have you chosen a new leader yet, or are you just letting it grow for now?

 

[Dav4]

Yes, in the first picture, you can see a small branch at the top of the tree that has been wired up. It's been placed in a larger pot and be left alone for a few years to grow out. Thanks for the interest.

 

[Dav4]

Zombie thread alert!!!!!

It's hard to believe that this thread is over 9 years old... and hasn't been updated in almost 9 years either. Well, there's a reason for that...
A year or so after the last photo, this ume was moved to a very large, shallow pot to encourage both root and trunk growth... but it did neither. In fact, the tree suffered greatly, most of the branches were lost, and it was eventually planted in the yard as a last ditch effort to keep it alive, maybe 6 years ago. It regained strength in a few years and I started hacking it back periodically in a poor attempt to shape it. I decided after chopping it back again a week ago as the buds pushed that the trunk had grown considerably but the quality branching I wanted would require potting to develop....... so.......











Here it as of 3 pm today.


Lots of heavy roots needed cutting to flatten the bottom.


Pretty cool nebari to work with.


Thinned and rough wired to start building the structure. The goal is still a literati with this one, so the tree must get taller and will get edited and have more branches removed over the next few years. The obligatory dropped branch needs some tweaking, too, but will likely make the final cut- no pun intended- in some form.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice!!!