Siberian elm from a stump - BonsaiSouth-inspired

[Cosmos]

This one didn’t make it. It got badly mishandled during the spring by me (too much water from rain, and then when the heat hit, too little), and got a severe fungus infection. The tree was pretty much dead by mid-July, despite anti-fungal treatment.

It was my only Siberian elm, I am eager to start with another one. I’d however not plan it in a colander (too hard to water properly when it’s hot and the tree has a lot of foliage), I’d stay on top of the growth and prune (moderately) even in the first year, and I would probably put in a bigger container, potentially a wooden box. There’s a big triple trunk in a gravel patch nearby that I might collect in the spring.

 

[Hartinez]

This one didn’t make it. It got badly mishandled during the spring by me (too much water from rain, and then when the heat hit, too little), and got a severe fungus infection. The tree was pretty much dead by mid-July, despite anti-fungal treatment.

It was my only Siberian elm, I am eager to start with another one. I’d however not plan it in a colander (too hard to water properly when it’s hot and the tree has a lot of foliage), I’d stay on top of the growth and prune (moderately) even in the first year, and I would probably put in a bigger container, potentially a wooden box. There’s a big triple trunk in a gravel patch nearby that I might collect in the spring.

While it’s a bummer this one died, your right about availability. I plan on digging quite a few next spring. I feel like I’ve found a good balance with the one I’ve got. Going on 5 years with great development and no branch dieback. But the whole “these are bulletproof” apparently doesn’t apply to my Siberian elms.

 

[Cosmos]

One unexpected thing this one did was that it only grew foliage at the tip of the branches in the spring. Hartinez, has that ever occurred to you? The tree was left unpruned after it was collected last year, I wonder if this is a manifestation of the kind of extreme pioneer behaviour of the species, where it will push and push for longer branches and ignore the inner foliage. I haven’t observed it in the feral ones growing around here, but who knows. This is why I think I would prune to contain the energy even in the first year for the next pulmila.

 

[Hartinez]

One unexpected thing this one did was that it only grew foliage at the tip of the branches in the spring. Hartinez, has that ever occurred to you? The tree was left unpruned after it was collected last year, I wonder if this is a manifestation of the kind of extreme pioneer behaviour of the species, where it will push and push for longer branches and ignore the inner foliage. I haven’t observed it in the feral ones growing around here, but who knows. This is why I think I would prune to contain the energy even in the first year for the next pulmila.

The foliage at the tips in spring def pushes the hardest, but as you said after it’s first heavy cutback or even defoliation, extensions push from every single leaf point and buds popped further back down each branch. I hedge pruned mine twice and partially defoliate since this season and I plan on hedge pruning all summer next year. Here it is today after wiring out the branches on the right trunk with wire still needed on the left. I’ve also found that I’ve got to heavily reduce the rootball yearly. The angle I’m holding this one will be its new angle next year. I’m excited to see how much ramification I can get in the apex next year.

 

[Cosmos]

It’s a great-looking tree, well underway. It will only get better as the bark deepens and covers all the trunks. I’m always amazed as how rough the bark can get on young siberians around here, some less than 10 y.o. have deeply fissured bark.

Keep up the good work!

 

[sorce]

I’m excited to see how much ramification I can get in the apex next year.

Nearly irreparable that.

Why so early?

Ugh, this is so hard to approach in text.

But that bottom right branch Should come off!

You gotta remember that the Apex is almost always going to be the strongest growing, easiest to ramify portion of the tree.

I understand a "practice" run at creating one, but only if your aware of it shading out the lower, hence ruining the design, and the necessity of cutting it off later to start over at the appropriate time.

I start looking at the trees branches for ramification and new bud tips, that what makes me see that low right branch as inferior to the rest above it. Being that your lowest branch should come out of the small trunk, it is an easy decision to cut.

The rest, going up, don't look bad as far as being thicker and more developed at the bottom, the oldest branches, but it seems lack of attention to this in the next couple growing season will leave you with an upside down tree. More and more irreparable.

So focus on the Apex, to me, sticks out like a sore thumb for a bad idea. So I have to say something, since this tree is in this moment so many are, of being worked correctly, or being "hedged to a fuck".

You see, the act of hedging alone, by the laws of nature and physics, will create an upside down tree. FROM THIS POiNT.

If I were you, I'd count buds and start with around 16-24 from the first good branch, losing about 2-4 for each branch going up.

So you end up with around this many buds of about the same size () from each branch.

2 top
4
8
10
12
16 bottom.

(Curios to know your actual count. I'll count em if you photo em.)

The problem is the ramification has to match...ish...
That's why you can't build an Apex too early, unless you are prepared to cut it off and deal with those results. (Severe backbudding, cuts, new amounts of sun to lower, etc)

But once you have your bud count setup for Spring, you can let them grow out and build proper thicknesses in each, and since you counted and sized buds to match your growth needs, it won't take much but water to get the appropriate sizes.

After this grow out of diminishing size branches as going up the tree, you can go back and cut in taper, which means going back to 2 good back branches for ramification......blah.

These should be flip flopped.


Forgive me. I'm not attacking you. (Obviously since you can not defend yourself as I type alone, that would be a bitch move, haha!)

But this is going to be the difference (by " x amount of years, since we'll eventually get it) between having that good D material we covet, and having a bunch of trees we don't understand why no one, including ourselves, really connect with.

Everyone quotes the pot size rules.
Talks about taper.
Looks at trees on stands and are those stands wider or thinner than the pot?

Wider!

The table they sit on, wider still.

This theme of Stability, is what puts our feeble human brains at ease enough to even begin to enjoy a tree in our souls.

We can't simply ignore that theme at the first branch, if we did, this place would be called Tachiagari? Nut.

But it is Bonsai Nut.

Let's create some!

Resorce.

Sorce

 

[Hartinez]

Nearly irreparable that.

Why so early?

Ugh, this is so hard to approach in text.

But that bottom right branch Should come off!

You gotta remember that the Apex is almost always going to be the strongest growing, easiest to ramify portion of the tree.

I understand a "practice" run at creating one, but only if your aware of it shading out the lower, hence ruining the design, and the necessity of cutting it off later to start over at the appropriate time.

I start looking at the trees branches for ramification and new bud tips, that what makes me see that low right branch as inferior to the rest above it. Being that your lowest branch should come out of the small trunk, it is an easy decision to cut.

The rest, going up, don't look bad as far as being thicker and more developed at the bottom, the oldest branches, but it seems lack of attention to this in the next couple growing season will leave you with an upside down tree. More and more irreparable.

So focus on the Apex, to me, sticks out like a sore thumb for a bad idea. So I have to say something, since this tree is in this moment so many are, of being worked correctly, or being "hedged to a fuck".

You see, the act of hedging alone, by the laws of nature and physics, will create an upside down tree. FROM THIS POiNT.

If I were you, I'd count buds and start with around 16-24 from the first good branch, losing about 2-4 for each branch going up.

So you end up with around this many buds of about the same size () from each branch.

2 top
4
8
10
12
16 bottom.

(Curios to know your actual count. I'll count em if you photo em.)

The problem is the ramification has to match...ish...
That's why you can't build an Apex too early, unless you are prepared to cut it off and deal with those results. (Severe backbudding, cuts, new amounts of sun to lower, etc)

But once you have your bud count setup for Spring, you can let them grow out and build proper thicknesses in each, and since you counted and sized buds to match your growth needs, it won't take much but water to get the appropriate sizes.

After this grow out of diminishing size branches as going up the tree, you can go back and cut in taper, which means going back to 2 good back branches for ramification......blah.

These should be flip flopped.
View attachment 270549

Forgive me. I'm not attacking you. (Obviously since you can not defend yourself as I type alone, that would be a bitch move, haha!)

But this is going to be the difference (by " x amount of years, since we'll eventually get it) between having that good D material we covet, and having a bunch of trees we don't understand why no one, including ourselves, really connect with.

Everyone quotes the pot size rules.
Talks about taper.
Looks at trees on stands and are those stands wider or thinner than the pot?

Wider!

The table they sit on, wider still.

This theme of Stability, is what puts our feeble human brains at ease enough to even begin to enjoy a tree in our souls.

We can't simply ignore that theme at the first branch, if we did, this place would be called Tachiagari? Nut.

But it is Bonsai Nut.

Let's create some!

Resorce.

Sorce

I have fully decided that bottom right branch has to go, but considering it’s almost 3 yrs younger than every branch above it, it got pretty thick pretty quick. With that said, it distracts from the composition, especially on this elm.

in regards to the crown, it being the fastest growing, I will undoubtedly be cutting back often to try and control thickening, which will create ramification wether I like it or not. And really, I couldn’t control this trees growth even if I wanted to! It grows so quickly it’s nuts.

honestly, my concern with this tree more than anything else is the nebari, or lack there of. If you go through the thread I created for this tree, I’ve made so many stupid mistakes and poor decisions, and yet, it thrives on. Thank goodness, because this one is starting to grow on me.

so because of that, I will no doubt take everything you see with consideration as I’d like to see this tree go from alright to exceptional over time, while still maintaining true to my vision.

lastly, I don’t get all but hurt on here, unless someone is just directly attacking me, which you are obviously not. Your merely giving your opinion, which should be expected on a site like this. Even if your opinion was delivered harshly, which it wasn’t, it still wouldn’t. It’s the god damn internet, why get hurt. Thanks for your input!!

 

[sorce]

my vision

Certainly don't doubt your Vision I'm any endeavor!
Which is exactly why ai couldn't let this seemingly "backwards" thing just fly for the sake of the masses.

You know that ridiculous thing they say to do with boxwood?
Cutting off all but the last two leaves, essentially defoliating the entire branch spare a couple leaves just to keep sap flowing...
That's what I consider A good action for controlling growth, especially in a later designed Apex.
No cuts so no backbud promotion or direction change, and no leaves or "solar panels" to add girth. Just enough life to keep life.
I would attempt to employ this method of lead removal to keep the top in check.

Sorce