Next step for supermarket bonsai?

[Anuri]

Hello! I'm new to this forum, and have just bought my first ever bonsai. It's a rather crappy specimen of a Chinese Elm I think (it said "Ficus" on it, but there's just no way). When I bought it it was overgrown with long shoots, several scrawny branches growing from the same points on the trunk, and a dead portion of wood where the trunk had been cut at the top. It also has a rather tall and ugly nebari. I have since pruned it pretty hard, removed the dead area and sealed the wound. My question now is what would be my next step?

Top down, showing the area where there was a portion of dead wood. Badly wired the top branch to hopefully make it the new tree top.

One side of the tree.

Other side of the tree.

Part of the nebari has been hacked of, not sure how to handle that.

It may not be clear to see, but the nebari is quite tall/raised. Makes it look like the tree is on stilts, haha

 

[sorce]

Good Morning and Welcome to Crazy.

Not a ficus! Ah...so proud! Good call!
Lot of good stuff here.
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/of-roots-and-chops.22271/

I would ground layer yours as well.
After which....you have a pretty good start.

I would put it outside when it remains above about 40f.

And somewhere just shy of midsummer.
Start your groundlayer.

More info.

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/radialayer™-a-season-saver.17046/

Nice!

Sorce

 

[Dalmat]

When I see that pot ( oh how it looks familiar) first thing to do is get it out of that crap and plant it in some decent bonsai soil.
Otherwise it is on its sure demise way to mallsai graveyard.

 

[Anuri]

When I see that pot ( oh how it looks familiar) first thing to do is get it out of that crap and plant it in some decent bonsai soil.
Otherwise it is on its sure demise way to mallsai graveyard.

Sadly there's not a single store in my area where I can buy bonsai pots (or any kind of bonsai equipment, sigh). Will have to order one online. What style would you go for? I have some Akadama that I plan to mix with decent soil and coarse sand, will that do?

 

[sorce]

Decent potting soil?

IMO....
It needs a repot.
But it needs new surface roots too....

It'll live fine in there for now....
And in 2-3 weeks.....you could kill 2 stones with one Bird!

Sorce

 

[Anuri]

Decent potting soil?

IMO....
It needs a repot.
But it needs new surface roots too....

It'll live fine in there for now....
And in 2-3 weeks.....you could kill 2 stones with one Bird!

Sorce

Would you put it in a new bonsai pot, or just a temorary deep pot while it grows new roots? How deep should the pot be when ground layering?

Also yes, potting soil. Is that a no-no?

 

[TomB]

It could go back in that pot, changing the soil is the critical thing. Of the soil components you list, I would put it in 100% Akadama. From your location I guess this tree will be kept inside most of the year, and outside in the summer months. I would plant it a little deeper so the cut root end is hidden (or a lot deeper, in a deeper pot, to try to induce new roots from that cut area if you want - cut area should be a couple of inches below soil level).

 

[sorce]

potting soil. Is that a no-no?

Yeah.....100% Akadama could work..
Or throw in some dry component too.
Granite grit....

But here's what I would do.....

Throw some Akadama on top of what you got there.....to give you some support....

Do they have 1gl ice cream buckets in Norway?

I'd use one of those....cut down to about 2 inches....pop some holes in it so the pot gets watered too, and layer that thing like so.



Fill the ice cream bucket with Akadama, and it should root nice in a few weeks.

........

Most of your roots are growing mostly downward.....
While that itself could be mendable...
You still have to let those new lil ones, IF the pop from the stub, catch up in size to the old ones....

Best to start fresh at that point IMO.

They say "buy good surface roots, and a good trunk"......
So by default, those are the first things we should fix if not "perfect".

I am totally throwing you in the deep end!
But it's a good place to start!

Sorce

 

[Anuri]

Yeah.....100% Akadama could work..
Or throw in some dry component too.
Granite grit....

But here's what I would do.....

Throw some Akadama on top of what you got there.....to give you some support....

Do they have 1gl ice cream buckets in Norway?

I'd use one of those....cut down to about 2 inches....pop some holes in it so the pot gets watered too, and layer that thing like so.

View attachment 101154

Fill the ice cream bucket with Akadama, and it should root nice in a few weeks.

........

Most of your roots are growing mostly downward.....
While that itself could be mendable...
You still have to let those new lil ones, IF the pop from the stub, catch up in size to the old ones....

Best to start fresh at that point IMO.

They say "buy good surface roots, and a good trunk"......
So by default, those are the first things we should fix if not "perfect".

I am totally throwing you in the deep end!
But it's a good place to start!

Sorce

Nice method, thanks! Certainly will read up on ground layering, and then give it a go as soon as I feel more confident about the process. Other than repotting and growing new surface roots, should I just leave it for the summer? Let it gather some strength until next year?

 

[sorce]

Nice method, thanks! Certainly will read up on ground layering, and then give it a go as soon as I feel more confident about the process. Other than repotting and growing new surface roots, should I just leave it for the summer? Let it gather some strength until next year?

Yeah I wouldn't do much else.....
Except maybe find out where it was wintered before.

These Can be left inside.....can be left outside....

Sorce

 

[Anuri]

It could go back in that pot, changing the soil is the critical thing. Of the soil components you list, I would put it in 100% Akadama. From your location I guess this tree will be kept inside most of the year, and outside in the summer months. I would plant it a little deeper so the cut root end is hidden (or a lot deeper, in a deeper pot, to try to induce new roots from that cut area if you want - cut area should be a couple of inches below soil level).

The cut stump seems to be mostly dead, sadly. Don't think it can be saved

Yeah I wouldn't do much else.....
Except maybe find out where it was wintered before.

These Can be left inside.....can be left outside....

Sorce

Probably gonna winter it inside, we get temperatures down to -20C (-4F?) sometimes.

 

[Anuri]

I'm glad you guys told me to repot, cause the root mass turned out to be pretty poor. Hopefully it will get much better now, after having been ever so slightly pruned and planted in Akadama.

 

[jomawa]

Sorry I missed mentioning this stub root suggestion prior to the repot. It may not even be worthy of considering, given the other suggestions mentioned. Buuut, looking at your tree, I see it leaning away from the stub root, which brings it farther out of the soil.

I simply suggest you lean the tree to get the stub at least just touching the soil and hide the nasty view of that stub. Am I breaking some/any rule that says you can only lean a tree to the left, (or right)?

 

[Anuri]

I

Sorry I missed mentioning this stub root suggestion prior to the repot. It may not even be worthy of considering, given the other suggestions mentioned. Buuut, looking at your tree, I see it leaning away from the stub root, which brings it farther out of the soil.

I simply suggest you lean the tree to get the stub at least just touching the soil and hide the nasty view of that stub. Am I breaking some/any rule that says you can only lean a tree to the left, (or right)?

I did just this when repotting, it looks much better now I'll still try and grow new surface roots though, they're all pretty ugly.

 

[AaronThomas]

Wow... roots don't looks so good? Is that mold? Funny because the leaves (that it has) look good.
Elms are tons of fun... unless you plant them in crappy soil..... which I have never done (not)
Welcome!

 

[Anuri]

Wow... roots don't looks so good? Is that mold? Funny because the leaves (that it has) look good.
Elms are tons of fun... unless you plant them in crappy soil..... which I have never done (not)
Welcome!

They were not moldy, thank god. Just limp and, I don't know, unfresh looking? And there was dried up clay on some of them, not sure where that came from. The soil was really crappy, like if I had ran it through a sieve almost nothing would be left, haha. But as you said, the tree looks healthy even if the roots don't so hopefully it will survive and do much better now. Fingers crossed!

 

[Alain]

Wow... roots don't looks so good? Is that mold?

If you are speaking of the grey area it looks more like the soil itself to me...Did they wait the low tide and go to grab some vase to fill the pot or what?

Ok, I just saw the answer: clay...
I wasn't that far then
Not a good idea!

Also your wire seems funny to me, what is it? Steel? Because if so that's not such a good idea neither

Anyway welcome!
(first person I ever met from Trondheim. Heard of the name a lot cause of the trondhjemites though )

 

[Anuri]

If you are speaking of the grey area it looks more like the soil itself to me...Did they wait the low tide and go to grab some vase to fill the pot or what?
Ok, I just saw your answer: clay...
I wasn't that far then
Not a good idea!

Also your wire seems funny to me, what is it? Steel? Because if so that's not such a good idea neither

Anyway welcome!
(first person I met from Trondheim. Heard of the name a lot cause of the trondhjemites though )

Yes that is steel wire, I know it's a no-no Will remove it as soon as I can get my hands on something better, but it's turning out to be surprisingly hard. Might have to find something online, sigh.

I probably should know what a "trondhjemite" is, but honestly I have no idea??

Edit: Just googled trondhjemites, shoud have figured it was a rock

 

[AaronThomas]

Over all I think its got some potential. Nice fat little trunk... Too bad about the amputated root.
LOL they musta jammed it in the pot and cut everything that didn't fit.

 

[Alain]

but it's turning out to be surprisingly hard.

That's basically the problem
That plus the corrosion (unless it's stainless steel).

Ordering online is unfortunately the way for most bonsai Nuts, even those who don't live in Trondheim
Otherwise you could also use electric wires that you anneal yourself to get nice copper wires.
Last point if you have to order online: check the prices when ordering directly from Japan. I just did it to buy some bonsai tools and turned out it's cheaper than to try to get the same quality in the States (I don't know for the wires though. Nor if the shipping is to Norway...).

Ah and also don't feel bad for the trondhjemites, nobody but geologists specialized in early Earth's crust (which I happen to be) know that!