Ulmus Parvifolia Corticosa Monster Elm

[fredtruck]

In late November, I ordered a cork bark Chinese elm from Brent Walston at Evergreen Gardenworks. This is what it looked like in its 14” Anderson flat in a picture Brent sent me:

 

[fredtruck]

My reason for choosing an elm like this was that it somewhat resembled this tree, an ancient pollarded tree in England, in a picture taken in 1943.

 

[fredtruck]

The macabre text accompanying the picture aside, there has been a lot of interest recently in Halloween-type trees. Walter Pall has written an intriguing essay on Fairy Tale Style Bonsai, which can be found here:

http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-fairy-tale-bonsai-style.html

This general style of tree was another influence, because elms make good candidates for such treatment.

I began to take a few calculated risks. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to carve on this tree. I wanted to feature the deadwood, and for that reason I shortened the main living branch as shown.

 

[fredtruck]

I found a very nice square yixing pot for my tree. I had also begun carving the tree by the time of this photograph, Valentine’s day, 2014.

 

[fredtruck]

The carving took about 2 days. I used my Dremel, with an assortment of bits. I let the tree recover until May, and then torched the carving. Amazing things happened.

 

[fredtruck]

When I applied the torch, the wood expanded. The previous picture shows how the bark ripped away from the wood, yet still remained attached. Elm wood is very very hard and for this to happen to the tree when heat was applied shows what tremendous forces are contained in even deadwood.

I have not treated the deadwood with lime sulphur. Instead, I’ve used a combination of wood hardener and super glue.

Here is the tree today:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Great trunk, image, and story...

 

[JudyB]

I have to say, that I've never seen what others see in these. To me they are just plain oogly. But you may have a plan to change that, keep us posted.

 

[fredtruck]

>>I have to say, that I've never seen what others see in these. To me they are just plain oogly. But you may have a plan to change that, keep us posted.

A more thought-provoking approach to my tree would be to consider it as an expression of power. Power to what end? The will to survive is often mentioned as a characteristic of bonsai, but too often I feel it is expressed as a passive power, rope-a-doping the forces of nature. My tree is in the fight. My tree is more like: strike me with lightening, burn me up, hit me with ice, and I will hit you twice as hard in the spring with new growth and live another 700 years.

 

[evmibo]

I like the direction you have this going in. Can you tell me what carving tools you use on your dremel?

 

[fredtruck]

Thanks for your comment.

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond.

I used the drum sander, and

router bits
612
615
654

and a high speed cutter as well as engraving cutter for small stuff and

the drill bit, as well as the torch.

 

[mcpesq817]

Nice tree Fred. Don't listen to the naysayers on working with cork bark elms - they are great bonsai material, have great bark obviously and generally nice nebari, and don't get black spot very easily in my experience. I always wonder what the naysayers see in their trees

 

[JudyB]

Nice tree Fred. Don't listen to the naysayers on working with cork bark elms - they are great bonsai material, have great bark obviously and generally nice nebari, and don't get black spot very easily in my experience. I always wonder what the naysayers see in their trees

It's just personal taste, nothing "personal". I'm sure lots of people see nothing in my images, but at least I'm being honest. And I do see a path here that interests me, that is why I posted the reply I did.

 

[fredtruck]

One of my goals with this tree has been to create branches and ramification. The first picture shows my elm last March. The second picture shows the tree a few days ago.

At the end of the growing season, I was just able to begin another goal, which is to grow the canopy behind the deadwood spike.

 

[JudyB]

Coming along nicely, and indeed a good vision for this tree. Thanks for the update.

 

[MACH5]

Great progression Fred and story. I like where is headed. Certainly a unique and rather unusual design for a tree like this one. Great quality pics as you do always!

 

[mcpesq817]

Looks great Fred. Starting the ramify nicely.

What type of cork bark is it? I'm assuming not Seiju given the leaf size, but maybe the regular variety or yatsubusa? I'm playing around with each of the three varieties - they are fun to work with and relatively easy. Probably the hardest thing is to constantly be cutting off the new growth in areas you don't want it. They grow like weds once they get started.

 

[fredtruck]

It's just a standard ulmus parvifolia corticosa. I got it from Brent at Evergreen Gardenworks about a year ago. It's either 25 or 28 years old. Brent has developed techniques for keeping the rootball very compact while growing a massive trunk. Above the roots, my tree is just over 5" across.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I like what you've done so far. This tree is just going to look better as the branches develop. My only gripe is the pot. The rough bark looks out of place with that glossy glazed pot.

 

[fredtruck]

That's definitely something to think over.