This was collected from a local Winery that had major issues with Elm Beetle and Borer attack in their landscape tree’s . They were removed by a Bobcat loader  simply grabed ,  crunched ,  and ripped  out of the ground . I collected a tandem trailer load around 30 odd Elms ,  Maples and Cedars . Unfortunately the cedars didn’t make it however i still have the majority of the Elms and a couple of Maples  progressing well . This Maple was a grafted Atropurpurum , while it sprouted above the graft it died back and sprout from the original rootstock. This was ground grown and no looked after so it is quite open between the branch nodes . There was 8-9 shoot sprouting from the rear of the trunk , they were cut back with hedge trimmers last year and left .During Winter i removed it from the ground and put it into these doubled up seed trays for some ease of movement around the yard .They were simple screwed together making an enclosed trainer tray .I have in the past used custom made wooden boxes but find all the nasty pests love the decaying wood . Curl grubs are a major issue around here so plastic is the go from now on , cheap /free , light weight and reusable/recycleable /. Not getting any younger so weight issues with health issus make for some serious changes , all for the better .Anyway this multi trunk stump was restyled in 5 minutes into a trainer which will have numerous thread grafted seedling place around the open area’s in the new leaders . The trunk is 80-mm in diameter and the base at ground level is 180mm plus , this has major dead wood and a single live vein so carving the front will only enhance the base .The damaged done by the excavator is quite evident with the major trimming done If the carving is  done correctly it should look and become an old knarled trunk, something you would expect from a Yamadori Maple decimated by the forces of nature .I’m not looking to make this a nice formal tree but a radical rugged hard done by contorted bonsai . Hope it works out as planned .

 

.Cheers Alpineart

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