FourMileMarc
Mame
I have heard that Zelkova is difficult to make into a believable broom via trunk chop so I thought I would give it a try and see if I could pull it off. The first pic is a hardwood cutting afterthought I stabbed into the ground and it actually struck into clay with no hormone. I decided what the heck with it but I do not think it will be very good for bonsai and may give it away to a friend.
The second one (second pic onward) I chopped last winter. Now I had read lots about how these guys make big ugly knots at the sprout site and that is what creates the unnatural appearance. So I thought I would post this to see if you guys think I can pull off believable with this one using all of the available Naka #1 techniques with some homespun modification's. Step one was chop, grind out middle, smear with Vasaline and constrict with hemp and duck tape later to be replaced with hose clamp around nylon webbing as a protector. This was placed around the cut site and a little above.
In spring many buds formed out of the cambium tissue at the top. All buds were rubbed off the trunk below as they sprouted to keep the trunk "clean". The new shoots grew almost 6 feet last season, in fact I failed to catch that some of the bulging "squirted out" below the clamp as can be seen in the close up.
I then thinned to one leader to dominate and 3 branches to reduce further bulging in that area this season. I think I will not allow more than 2 new sprouts per cut at the new cuts and some kind of constrictors. I may need a larger hose clamp in the first area this year as well. And this time I may trim back in mid season so I do not loose taper.
I like the way these look with the apex versus no apex (classic broom)?
These tree's are very strong. During May I detangled, bare rooted and cut back the root system by 75% in full leaf and it did not even seem to phase it much at all.
Does anyone have any pics of these tree's in a broom style made this way that look believable. Constructive critics welcome.
The second one (second pic onward) I chopped last winter. Now I had read lots about how these guys make big ugly knots at the sprout site and that is what creates the unnatural appearance. So I thought I would post this to see if you guys think I can pull off believable with this one using all of the available Naka #1 techniques with some homespun modification's. Step one was chop, grind out middle, smear with Vasaline and constrict with hemp and duck tape later to be replaced with hose clamp around nylon webbing as a protector. This was placed around the cut site and a little above.
In spring many buds formed out of the cambium tissue at the top. All buds were rubbed off the trunk below as they sprouted to keep the trunk "clean". The new shoots grew almost 6 feet last season, in fact I failed to catch that some of the bulging "squirted out" below the clamp as can be seen in the close up.
I then thinned to one leader to dominate and 3 branches to reduce further bulging in that area this season. I think I will not allow more than 2 new sprouts per cut at the new cuts and some kind of constrictors. I may need a larger hose clamp in the first area this year as well. And this time I may trim back in mid season so I do not loose taper.
I like the way these look with the apex versus no apex (classic broom)?
These tree's are very strong. During May I detangled, bare rooted and cut back the root system by 75% in full leaf and it did not even seem to phase it much at all.
Does anyone have any pics of these tree's in a broom style made this way that look believable. Constructive critics welcome.