Mark and Ritta were kind enough to reply to my request for more information on their shohin zelkova:
To be candid Greg, there’s not a long or particularly interesting story to the broom style shohin Zelkova (Keyaki) of ours. But what can I tell you? …….
We bought the tree ten years ago as a Japanese import. The tree was already a good shohin then and the “bones” (the main structure) of the tree were very much there from that point. All that Ritta and I have done over the last ten years is to :-
· grow it carefully
· prune it to shape, and to improve the structure
· wire a few branches to lower them
· defoliate, or leaf thin it to let air and light in (this is critical as you know for any densely ramified deciduous tree) so as not to lose twigs/ branches and to increase and improve the ramification
· of course the trunk and nebari have developed too over that time due to age and good technique when repotting
· change the pot(s) over this period. The pot it is now is an old Koyo pot, made by Aiba San, the father.
We have just a few photos of the tree and its history
It’s basically been a case of good technique being applied religiously and consistently over long period of time. That’s the only secret I know to develop well ramified deciduous trees! So nothing special or secret to share J
You will see Keyaki like this in some of the top shohin shows in Japan like Shuga ten held every November in Ueno, Tokyo, and in Gafu ten the premier shohin show held in Kyoto every January. To find one to buy isn’t easy, but not impossible.