Not Bonsai?

[RSly7]

This is a 12 year old Chinese Elm with an S-Shaped trunk. Is there any tips on here as to what I can do with this tree moving forward to make it look more natural? Can I straighten a trunk this thick over time?

Thanks for you help!

 

[RSly7]

Its about 18-19" tall including the pot.

 

[JudyB]

Welcome to the forum! Please take a moment and put your location in your profile so people can give you correct advice for your climate.
As far as this elm, you cannot straighten it at this point, but you can certainly make a better tree out of this. You should consider air layering the top of the tree off, to get a second tree that will be a much more natural looking tree than the tree as a whole now. And if you airlayer it, the bottom can be regrown to another shape as well. Maybe just above the second branch.

 

[RSly7]

Welcome to the forum! Please take a moment and put your location in your profile so people can give you correct advice for your climate.
As far as this elm, you cannot straighten it at this point, but you can certainly make a better tree out of this. You should consider air layering the top of the tree off, to get a second tree that will be a much more natural looking tree than the tree as a whole now. And if you airlayer it, the bottom can be regrown to another shape as well. Maybe just above the second branch.

So I can cut the tree in half above the second branch and add root hormone to the top half and replant?

 

[DayDrunk]

Air layering explained

 

[Mayank]

So I can cut the tree in half above the second branch and add root hormone to the top half and replant?

I think JudyB was talking about air layering it and growing roots first just above where the cut would occur. Then to cut the top part out and pot it in a different pot and the bottom should sprout new buds also

 

[River's Edge]

This is a 12 year old Chinese Elm with an S-Shaped trunk. Is there any tips on here as to what I can do with this tree moving forward to make it look more natural? Can I straighten a trunk this thick over time?

Thanks for you help!

Air layer the top, chop the bottom and that large root! It will sprout and create a new tree! Three for one!

 

[JudyB]

So I can cut the tree in half above the second branch and add root hormone to the top half and replant?

watch the above video, search air layering here on the forum or google it. Or better yet, if there is a club in your area, join up and start learning what you don't know! You'll want to do this in the late spring next year, just let it grow strong until then.

 

[misfit11]

I agree with Judy. Airlayer just above second branch. Then make that second branch the new top of the tree. Let that grow out to heal the chop.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

There is nothing ''wrong'' with an S shaped trunk. Because mass produced bonsai are often trained this way, it is given the ''big yawn'' by seasoned bonsai hobbyists, but really there is nothing wrong with it. It is not a common ''natural'' form for an elm, but if you were to look at enough trees out in nature, eventually you would find an 'S' shaped tree. So as Judy B said, this tree can be made to look better, you can air layer off the top, or you can just work with the tree you have.

First, I'll offer a couple ''rules'' that are not rules, merely guides for when you don't know what to do. If artistically, something looks good that does not follow the rules, it is just fine. But if you are not sure what to do, the ''rules'' will help.

Branch order - this is not absolute - don't leave big gaps to meet this rule, but in general: left, back, right, or left, right, back, the pattern of branches should spiral up the tree. 2 right branches, or 2 left branches in a row is often distracting to the eye. Higher in the tree the occasion front branch is also needed, so left, back, front, right. You want to see the trunk at least half way up the trunk, and from that point up it is okay to hide portions of the trunk.

Outside of Curves rule - More important than branch order - branches should originate on the outsides of curves. Branches that come out from the inside of a curve almost always looks congested, out of place and awkward.

No more than 2 or 3 branches at any given point. On your elm you have a number of points where you have a cluster of branches coming off your trunk. In general, these should all be pruned to 2, the trunk and one branch. Or out on a branch, the branch should branch into only 2 sub branches. When arranging branches on the trunk, you need branches in all directions, initially left, right, back, then higher in the tree, left, right, front and back. If you don't have a nice sequence, of branches, if you have 2 coming off the trunk at the same point, one can be your left, and the other be your back branch, or right branch and back branch.

If you go through and prune off extra branches as I suggested, you can greatly improve the ''tree-ness'' of this bonsai without having to start an air layer.

An air layer will have to be in place about 3 months in order to root, during which time you should not do any pruning or repotting, just sun, water & fertilizer until the air layer is removed. An inconvenience if you are itching to do some pruning.

 

[RSly7]

There is nothing ''wrong'' with an S shaped trunk. Because mass produced bonsai are often trained this way, it is given the ''big yawn'' by seasoned bonsai hobbyists, but really there is nothing wrong with it. It is not a common ''natural'' form for an elm, but if you were to look at enough trees out in nature, eventually you would find an 'S' shaped tree. So as Judy B said, this tree can be made to look better, you can air layer off the top, or you can just work with the tree you have.

First, I'll offer a couple ''rules'' that are not rules, merely guides for when you don't know what to do. If artistically, something looks good that does not follow the rules, it is just fine. But if you are not sure what to do, the ''rules'' will help.

Branch order - this is not absolute - don't leave big gaps to meet this rule, but in general: left, back, right, or left, right, back, the pattern of branches should spiral up the tree. 2 right branches, or 2 left branches in a row is often distracting to the eye. Higher in the tree the occasion front branch is also needed, so left, back, front, right. You want to see the trunk at least half way up the trunk, and from that point up it is okay to hide portions of the trunk.

Outside of Curves rule - More important than branch order - branches should originate on the outsides of curves. Branches that come out from the inside of a curve almost always looks congested, out of place and awkward.

No more than 2 or 3 branches at any given point. On your elm you have a number of points where you have a cluster of branches coming off your trunk. In general, these should all be pruned to 2, the trunk and one branch. Or out on a branch, the branch should branch into only 2 sub branches. When arranging branches on the trunk, you need branches in all directions, initially left, right, back, then higher in the tree, left, right, front and back. If you don't have a nice sequence, of branches, if you have 2 coming off the trunk at the same point, one can be your left, and the other be your back branch, or right branch and back branch.

If you go through and prune off extra branches as I suggested, you can greatly improve the ''tree-ness'' of this bonsai without having to start an air layer.

An air layer will have to be in place about 3 months in order to root, during which time you should not do any pruning or repotting, just sun, water & fertilizer until the air layer is removed. An inconvenience if you are itching to do some pruning.

Thanks for the advice, Leo!

 

[Atom#28]

Hi, RSly, I'm new here, too, I was gifted 2 of these lil S shaped elms 2 months ago, will be air layering both of them into 5 or 6 separate baby elms in the spring. From what I have read, it is too late in the season to start a new airlayer in my zone, but maybe one of the more seasoned peeps will have better info on that.

My biggest problem is that I'm dying to do something more hands-on with some trees, but summer is winding down and I have no material to work on. I guess that's my first lesson in the ancient art of patience......

I'll be sharing progress as I hack my SSSSSS trees to little pieces, hope you'll do the same!
-Adam

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Now is the time to start semi-hardwood cuttings. Start them now, leave the cuttings outside all winter, by next summer they will be well rooted and growing.

 

[LanceMac10]

Concord, huh? Where you planning on storing this come winter?



…..welcome, son....