Zelkova

[JoeR]

Forgive me if someone has already asked this, but where did you get your seeds from?

I plan on buying several species of seeds, including zelkova, to stratify them in the fridge soon.

 

[cmeg1]

Forgive me if someone has already asked this, but where did you get your seeds from?

I plan on buying several species of seeds, including zelkova, to stratify them in the fridge soon.

I got my seeds from Dallas bonsai,but they do not carry them anymore.I would stay away from angelgrove and treehelp.coms.Their seeds were too old.Try sheffields.
Zelkova is like the easiest seed to sprout in the world,but for two years straight I had no luck from bad seed.
Ask One of our members ,Abovebeyond,Where he got his seed.I think it is Sheffeilds,I believe his sprouted.

 

[cmeg1]

I got my seeds from Dallas bonsai,but they do not carry them anymore.I would stay away from angelgrove and treehelp.coms.Their seeds were too old.Try sheffields.
Zelkova is like the easiest seed to sprout in the world,but for two years straight I had no luck from bad seed.
Ask One of our members ,Abovebeyond,Where he got his seed.I think it is Sheffeilds,I believe his sprouted.

Sheffields looks good,they state the crop year for zelkova serrata

 

[cmeg1]

Zelkova only need 60 day stratification

 

[cmeg1]

Mid-Summer

I like Mid-Summer.The trees are happy.
I am attempting to redirect growth to the weaker shoots before I defoliate again.

 

[barrosinc]

why do these need to be defoliated so much?

 

[cmeg1]

why do these need to be defoliated so much?

I tried just pinching back after they reach about eight leaves but I just ended up with nodes almost 3" long and I really did not want that.
There are so many publications that say to feed Zelkova very sparingly,but I am not really into that now while they are still developing.
I just cut back and defoliate same time and the nodes are always down to two nodes per inch or so.
I have even see advice as to feed a zero nitrogen fert all season long and seaweed and such.Maybe that would be fine for a very refined tree.
I guess it is good advice,I mean Zelkova in ground have essentially zero nitrogen and they look great.
Maybe someday many years from now my trees will be so dense and full of leaves they will be short internodes.I have seen that occur on specimen bonsai around here.
So,as far as I can tell developing Zelkova need defoliation.
Thanks!

 

[cmeg1]

A few more air layers

Well,it took only sixteen days and I have a few more air layers.
These were absolutely loaded with root,so I decided to retain more leaves on these guys and make tall trees.
I have a total of eight layers now.
I have seven cuttings too that are getting trained and coming along nicely.
This way I am sure at least a few will be keepers next year

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Beautiful roots! Did you use a device to get your air layer roots to grow out so flat?

 

[Vin]

A few more air layers

Well,it took only sixteen days and I have a few more air layers.

16 Days! Geez, you're making us all look bad.

 

[cmeg1]

Beautiful roots! Did you use a device to get your air layer roots to grow out so flat?

Thanks,Thumb.
Nope no device.It was at the base of a one year cutting growing in the ground,about 5' or so in height.
The tree was chopped down in height when roots filled the colander and then the layer severed at that time too.
You can see the stub in the underside picture of a different layer previously made.
The roots just emerge like that when you use a colander and roots do not circle or tangle.
Here are pictures

 

[cmeg1]

16 Days! Geez, you're making us all look bad.

Hey thanks,Vin.I will take it as a compliment.
I am just having loads of fun with this.And yes,the fact that it takes only a couple weeks is really a bonus.
Every morning and evening I water the colanders and just literally watch the whole process occur.Very interesting.
As soon as you see one root around day 9 or 10 it is just a matter of days and the pot is full of them.
It was totally not a waste of time to take these cuttings last year.They rooted and were potted on the first day of summer last year and were four feet or so by end of the season then planted in the ground.
So here it is 13 months later and I got these layers from them.

 

[cmeg1]

Zelkova 2

Here is the third and final defoliation for the season with this tree.Was more of a partial defoliation this time.
The tree is winding down despite all the heavy fertilizing.
This late autumn will be wire and probably editing of the branches.I may lose density ,but will gain taper in the branches hopefully
Thanks

 

[Vin]

If I may ask, why defoliate at this time? Wouldn't more foliage fatten the trunk a little more?

 

[Adair M]

Vin, with zelkova, it's all about ramification. The trunk will fatten up as more branches.

What you don't want are big scars. Zelkova tend to make big callous scars. You don't want that.

He's doing it right!

 

[Vin]

Vin, with zelkova, it's all about ramification. The trunk will fatten up as more branches.

What you don't want are big scars. Zelkova tend to make big callous scars. You don't want that.

He's doing it right!

Ahhhh, would that apply to a Cork Bark Elm as well?

 

[Adair M]

Vin, I don't remember. I had a cork elm 40 years ago, don't remember the specifics.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

with cork bark elm you can get away with bigger scars, here they are slower to grow (but still vigorous). How long you let a branch grow out is dependent from what you want to happen. Here you go for a delicate image, so ...
cmeg1, thanks for the update... (again)

 

[cmeg1]

Vin, with zelkova, it's all about ramification. The trunk will fatten up as more branches.

What you don't want are big scars. Zelkova tend to make big callous scars. You don't want that.

He's doing it right!

"He's doing it right!" Good I like this tree!

 

[cmeg1]

with cork bark elm you can get away with bigger scars, here they are slower to grow (but still vigorous). How long you let a branch grow out is dependent from what you want to happen. Here you go for a delicate image, so ...
cmeg1, thanks for the update... (again)

Thanks, Dirk.
Here in this picture from first defoliation I started to see the lines I want to re-create with more wiring this Autumn.
If you look at the main trunk line (both) you can see how the right trunk undulates slightly up and down and the left trunk goes over to the same direction.
This appeals to me with this young tree and I am going to make this the basis for which to create with ,the detailed wiring this Autumn.
The trunk has thickened to about 3/4" by know too and looks nice.
However fleeting this image will be,but the interior will always have these lines I like.
So yes ,there is a more delicate image I am finding in this small tree.
Thanks.