Nursery elm find...

[AaronThomas]

Hey all.... just found this elm at the local nursery that I thought had some potential. We are well into our growing season here in Arizona at this point and the tree has had a good head start. Too late to do much with it this year as far as far as root work.

At this point I think I should just throw into a much larger growing container as it is unbelievably root bound at the moment.

Wondering if there is anything I should be doing to the root ball or just play safe and plant as is?

Thought perhaps I could chop if I didn’t mess with the roots... I have chopped elms as late as April with no ill effects. Or maybe thicken up another season?

Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[leatherback]

Nice aging bark.

Cutting or not cutting.. How big a tree are you after?
DO you want more than 1 tree? Then maybe layer the top off, plant that for a few years and develop the bottom from what you have now?

 

[John P.]

Nice find!

 

[AaronThomas]

Cutting or not cutting

I like the idea of layering... seems such a waist to just chop.

I would ideally like a larger tree... so the base could use some thickening up.

I’m assuming if I plant as is in a larger container And Chop to start development it will hinder the thickening of the base?

 

[AaronThomas]

Nice find!

Thanks John....Wish I had found it a little bit earlier in the season. LOL

 

[leatherback]

I’m assuming if I plant as is in a larger container And Chop to start development it will hinder the thickening of the base?

It will slow down indeed. But there are many ways to skin a cat, including cuting back more frequently.
I thnk the roods need some attention too.

 

[AaronThomas]

thnk the roods need some attention too.

This is my first time with nursery stock… The root ball is huge and it is packed… Even the bottom of the pot is blown out with roots.
I thought maybe it was too late in the season to mess with the roots? Since the tree has leafed out already.
How can I tackle?
Thanks leatherback!

 

[AaronThomas]

Had my eye on this tree for awhile... so was aiming for something along these lines.

 

[leatherback]

Hm.. I think elms can take a lot, but maybe invasive root surgery is a bit too big of a gamble.

If this were mine, I would probably do the layer. Put that to thicken. The rest you leave in this pot for the rest of the year, and next winter remove 90% of the roots. Basically with a saw cutting off the bottom 80% and then clean up the rest more carefully

 

[John P.]

You could leave the roots as-is, keep it in its nursery container, and ground layer with a tight wire tourniquet. Just under the tourniquet you could place a plastic plate or other disc with the center cut out to keep the roots growing horizontally. Then add a few inches of small orchid bark and water regularly.

 

[AaronThomas]

If this were mine

Excellent plan! Love that idea...

 

[leatherback]

You could leave the roots as-is, keep it in its nursery container, and ground layer with a tight wire tourniquet.

Thisis an option. However, it seems that there might be a decent rootflare already. Would be a shame?

 

[AaronThomas]

@John P.
Another good idea... I kinda like what I'm seeing with the root base at the moment. (like the gnarled twisted look)
Think ill do as LB suggested... see what happens next winter then decide if I should ground layer.

 

[AaronThomas]

might be a decent rootflare

Thats what I'm seeing also.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Nah, put it in the landscape, begin air-layering off pieces, and let them lower parts fill out while you pick & choose what to let and what to wire. By the time the bottom is good enough to go into a pot, all them uppers could populate a forest and still have a couple singletons left over.

 

[AaronThomas]

The rest you leave in this pot

Sorry missed this... shouldn't slip in something bigger?

 

[leatherback]

tree seems happy enough?

 

[AaronThomas]

tree seems happy enough?

Yeah... just worried about how bound it is.

 

[bonsaichile]

Thats what I'm seeing also.

but those roots need to be cut. Especially that ugly crossing root. And it seems you have big surface roots thst split too far from the trunk
those need to be fixed too. And I dont see the roots on all sides of the tree. Some root grafting is on your future. Start building your tree from the bottom up. Correct all nebari issues before developing your trunk (too straight and taperless. will need to be cut back hars) and develop the trunk before you start worrying about developing branches.

 

[AaronThomas]

ugly

Yeah...have no delusions that this is ready to go into a bonsai pot at the moment. I'm at ground zero here and know there's tons to do.... but that's the fun. I see what you are saying completely but think it has potential regardless of the lack of taper (which looks better in person than in the pic) and the funky cross root.
Unfortunately I found the tree a bit late in the season... Think ill let'er beef up a bit.