Newbie with a Corky Bark Chinese Elm

[Camo252]

Hey everyone,

I've only just started into bonsai this year and have a few prebonsai i'm beginning to work on.

One of them is a an 8-10 year old Corky Bark Chinese Elm that I purchased for $115.00 (AUD) and I'd love to know what you all think of it and what steps I should be taking with it next. As it stands I haven't done anything to it other then watering it daily.

Where I live in Australia we don't get much of a winter, the lowest it'll get to is maybe 5 degrees Celcius, no frost and definitely no snow, can still comfortably walk around in a shirt and shorts. So I don't know if this'll drop its leaves come winter time. I've read it's fine to repot these when i start to see new leaves etc. popping out.

Anyway, here are some photos. Any help and comments are more then welcome, even if it's to tell me this a crappy looking tree.

Thanks,

Camo

 

[jk_lewis]

even if it's to tell me this a crappy looking tree.

Can't do that, I'm afraid. It's a nice tree and you should have fun with it.

In MY experience, you can do most anything to an elm at most any time of year. I'd suggest spring for a repot with root work, though.

 

[JudyB]

Nope not a crappy looking tree at all. Welcome to the forum.
I would wait till you repot it, and maybe defoliate, so you can see what the branches look like in the tree canopy. It looks like there is one main trunk line/branch going up and to the right in the first pic. Looks like maybe you'll want to determine a cutback on that, to get taper going if there is none.

Oh, and go to your profile and update your location, so people can give you advice based on where you live.

 

[Camo252]

Thanks for the kind words.

Here are a couple more photos of the inner branching.

I might slip pot out of its nursery bag into something a bit bigger until spring rolls around and i'll do some root work and put it in a suitable bonsai pot.

If it doesn't drop it's leaves come the start of winter should I start defoliating? To defoliate do i just cut leaves off at the branch? or do i need to cut the leaves in half or something?

Thanks again,

Camo

 

[bonsaibp]

I defoliate mine in mild winters. Elms can be defoliated by starting at the bottom of a branch wrap your fingers around the branch and gently pull towards the end the leaves will strip right off with no damage to the bud underneath. No need to cut leaf by leaf.
I wouldn't bother slip potting into something bigger if you're considering a bonsai pot in the spring- theres no benefit to it. If you want it to get bigger then do it but leave it a few years at least.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

My winters in Southern California sound similar to yours. It gets cold (into the lower 40's upper 30's) but never below freezing. All my elms drop leaves for about two months each year. They are all currently in the process of popping buds (mid February).

Extremely easy to work with. Best time to do air-layers or major root work is early spring. I avoid doing heavy pruning in mid summer, but that's about it.

 

[Camo252]

Hopefully they do drop, If not, I'll have a good read up on defoliating.

I'll leave it in its bag until spring and then i'll do some root work and put it in a bonsai pot.

When would be a good time to chop back that longer branch?

Thanks again.

 

[Evilman626]

I defoliate mine in mild winters. Elms can be defoliated by starting at the bottom of a branch wrap your fingers around the branch and gently pull towards the end the leaves will strip right off with no damage to the bud underneath. No need to cut leaf by leaf.
I wouldn't bother slip potting into something bigger if you're considering a bonsai pot in the spring- theres no benefit to it. If you want it to get bigger then do it but leave it a few years at least.

Take this advise to defoliate and I wouldn't be dead set on putting this into a bonsai pot right away either.

 

[Camo252]

Take this advise to defoliate and I wouldn't be dead set on putting this into a bonsai pot right away either.

Do I take all the leaves off or just enough to get a good idea of branch structure and work on the ramification?

Thanks again, and sorry everyone for so many questions.

 

[edprocoat]

Camo, if thats the bag it was shipped to you in it probably does not have a drain at the bottom so it could stay moist for the shipping. It would be a good ide to at least poke a few holes in the bottom to let it drain to prevent root rot. Also it will stay wet a lot longer in that bag than a pot due to the plastic not allowing any air flow at all and being black it will cause heat buildup pretty quick so don't leave it in direct sun. If it were me I would slip pot it into either a nursey pot or some sort of grow pot If I was not ready to put it into a Bonsai pot.

ed

 

[Camo252]

I'll slip pot it into a plastic pot on the weekend until I can get a list/timeline set up of when i'm gonna do what for it.

 

[Camo252]

Hey everyone,

I'm still around and haven't given up on Bonsai. I just haven't really had a chance to do much lately as my Dad past away at the beginning of the month after a 9 month battle with Brain Cancer. Now that things are starting to get back to normal I thought I'd update my progress on this chinese elm.

So far I've slip potted it into a slightly larger pot and have chopped back that right side branch. Not sure if I took enough off though, your thoughts? I've been reading up on the pros and cons on cut paste...and have decided not to use any and see how it goes.

Anywho, here are a few photos of it at the moment.

 

[JudyB]

My sincere condolences on the loss of your father to you and your family and friends.

Welcome back, and it looks like a reasonable cut back to me for now. You can always take off more later, but can't put it back... Once it looses it's leaves for you this winter, you will be able to take a better look. As far as cut paste, I was in the non user camp at first too, but have changed my ways, and use it now. I would suggest the non-tube stuff, I've had problems with moisture buildup behind that kind, and use the jar stuff now.