Tiny Elm

[Grant Hamby]

I found this little guy at a local garden center. I was attracted to it because it had the thickest trunk and I saw an opportunity to chop it for taper. Since the chop, it's put out some strong growth, although not in the most desirable locations along the bends. Maybe spring will bring some new shoots in all the right places.

Any tips on training and styling are welcomed. Feel free to post photos of your tiny elms for inspiration. I'll try to keep this thread updated as the tree develops.

Thanks!

 

[aml1014]

I can see a nice future for that little guy!
But your wiring is setting my OCD like no other.
Colin Lewis has a wiring video on craftsy.com . You have to register but its free, and very informative!

Aaron

 

[Grant Hamby]

But your wiring is setting my OCD like no other.
Colin Lewis has a wiring video on craftsy.com . You have to register but its free, and very informative!

Aaron

Haha yeah it's not pretty! I was just trying to get those shoots to go downward while they're green. I plan on doing a proper wiring once they're lignified. But I will watch that video first!

 

[aml1014]

Oh and I must add, I like the little maple? In your avatar!

Aaron

 

[Grant Hamby]

Thank you! My father-in-law let me dig that out of his garden last year.

 

[Tieball]

Haha yeah it's not pretty! I was just trying to get those shoots to go downward while they're green. I plan on doing a proper wiring once they're lignified. But I will watch that video first!

The wiring works and does the job well....it's effective.

 

[Cypress187]

I want to layer my S-elm into as much small elms I can get out of him, but, next year.

 

[Grant Hamby]

This thing is blowing up. Hopefully it hardens off before the frosty weather. I'd like to get it dormant for the winter. Anyway, I have to ask my fellow nuts about the lower left shoot. Do I snip it for being inside the curve? Do I bend it to the back? Do I keep it there? The right branch is already breaking the "rules" a little, not sure if I should press my luck... Haha.

 

[just.wing.it]

This thing is blowing up. Hopefully it hardens off before the frosty weather. I'd like to get it dormant for the winter. Anyway, I have to ask my fellow nuts about the lower left shoot. Do I snip it for being inside the curve? Do I bend it to the back? Do I keep it there? The right branch is already breaking the "rules" a little, not sure if I should press my luck... Haha.
View attachment 119398

I'd remove it next growing season.

 

[Grant Hamby]

Colin Lewis has a wiring video on craftsy.com . You have to register but its free, and very informative!

I finally watched this. Very helpful! Thanks for the link. I'm actually excited to wire now. Haha.

 

[sorce]

Do I snip it for being inside the curve? Do I bend it to the back? Do I keep it there?

Awesome for noticing!

I'd leave it till it becomes a problem.

If it's not shading anything out, or causing reverse taper, there is no good reason to take the health away.

That video does do that to ya don't it!

Sorce

 

[Grant Hamby]

If it's not shading anything out, or causing reverse taper, there is no good reason to take the health away.

Thanks, Sorce. That makes a lot of sense.

Also, if I'm looking to beef up the current branch structure a bit, should I throw it into a larger grow container in the spring? I'm not sure how much they'll thicken up in that training pot.

 

[sorce]

I am a colander fan....

Also a fan of Nebari first....
Or all else is useless..IMO.

Best thing about elm is you can let it go rampant and cut it back with no worries...
So you can build your Nebari.

I just updated my
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/ulmus-favoritus.18348/
More thoughts on elm.

You can see my little dilemma...
But also the good growth I got out of that 5in basket.

A bigger grow basket would help IMO.
Work dem roots!

Of that branch....
I don't know if you've caught this Gary Wood concept I sing from the hills about...
Keeping potential problems at bay...
Or PPB!

Shading, reverse taper, maybe a large wound when cut, those are problems, that don't exist yet....

In the mean time...
That branch is helping you grow roots.
More and more roots till that branch is cut off... those roots will then send there work up to those other branches to beef up.

So leaving it till just before problems arise is best.

And the bigger it gets, the more likely you will get more useful trunk thickening buds when it gets cut, or useful buds for keeper branches.

Just some things I been thinking about since the first post.

Sorce

 

[Grant Hamby]

Sorce,

I was actually just reading that thread on your elm! I was amazed at how it thickened so quickly. (You're right, hard not to get man-lovish....) I dig those baskets. Gotta come up with something like that.

I'm pretty excited about this little guy. I even have a tiny Sara Rayner set aside for it.

My main inspiration for this tree's design is from Nichigo Bonsai's shohin elm. Love that thing.

For reference:

 

[sorce]

Fantastic!

Great inspiration!

I really can not recommend the pot material enough....
It is all here.

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/those-pot-materials.18202/

I've had some of the Non-uv protected zip ties bust, but the baskets stay stiff.
Great material.

I had one grow in between the overlapped section and that kinda sucked.
I will minimize the overlap and redesign for the future.

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

Also a fan of Nebari first....

Nebari First!
Make Nebari's Great Again!

 

[Grant Hamby]

The shoots finally looked solid enough to wire. I pulled the low branch down and out of the way for now. I'm kind of hoping for a new lower right branch in the future, but only time will tell. Can't wait to get some serious growth on this thing next year.

 

[Grant Hamby]

Repotted into a nicer training pot. I'd say this tree has never been allowed to go fully dormant since it was advertised as an "indoor bonsai" at the garden center, but most of the leaves got pretty crispy. I see new green buds popping on some of the nodes, though. Excited to see how this one does this year with good soil.

 

[ConorDash]

Repotted into a nicer training pot. I'd say this tree has never been allowed to go fully dormant since it was advertised as an "indoor bonsai" at the garden center, but most of the leaves got pretty crispy. I see new green buds popping on some of the nodes, though. Excited to see how this one does this year with good soil.

View attachment 131662

I air layered my elm mallsai, bottom half looks a little like this but bit bigger and still has big branches, I'm almost thinking of getting rid of them all and starting again. I really gotta get some advice on that.. anyway, that Colin Lewis video I was also suggested towards and watched a few times too, it is great .
I think I could only say, if you intend of growing the trunk up more, don't touch anything above the top of the trunk.. let it grow as much as you can to give the trunk more thickness and overall taper.

 

[vicn]

I would not have bent that branch over to the right, but allowed it to run and then use it for a thread graft as your first branch on the lower right.
But then I'm 6 months behind.