Corky bark elm styling

[pebble]

Hey guys n girls, haven't wrote a post in awhile because haven't been doing much new with any of my trees other than keeping them alive.

So I bought this pretty cool corky bark elm recently from bonsai south.
thought I would ask everyone's advice on styling?
So far here is where I'm at.

Informal upright
Pretty sure this will be the front



All I have done so far is just cleaned out the inside of the tree.

Thinking my next step is to try and develop foliage pads. just hopping I don't stuff it up.



Cheers dwayne


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[shibui]

It appear the trunk comes toward the front then away in your chosen front Pebble? Not sure that that gives a good view. Try looking at it from about where the bottle is in the first picture and see if that's any better.

There are far too many branches in the canopy so developing foliage pads will probably consist mostly of removing branches in between the ones you want to keep. Leaving lots of branches like this will soon cause the trunk to thicken in undesirable places. Try to have your chosen branches spaced as far apart on the trunk as possible so they don't contribute to local thickening.

just hopping I don't stuff it up.

This is a Chinese elm. I don't think it is possible to stuff up. They just grow back after whatever you do so lots of second chances. When you start to remove branches it may look a bit sparse but don't worry, the remaining branches will quickly grow and fill out and you will usually find you need to remove even more the following year.

[pebble]

It appear the trunk comes toward the front then away in your chosen front Pebble? Not sure that that gives a good view. Try looking at it from about where the bottle is in the first picture and see if that's any better.

There are far too many branches in the canopy so developing foliage pads will probably consist mostly of removing branches in between the ones you want to keep. Leaving lots of branches like this will soon cause the trunk to thicken in undesirable places. Try to have your chosen branches spaced as far apart on the trunk as possible so they don't contribute to local thickening.

just hopping I don't stuff it up.

This is a Chinese elm. I don't think it is possible to stuff up. They just grow back after whatever you do so lots of second chances. When you start to remove branches it may look a bit sparse but don't worry, the remaining branches will quickly grow and fill out and you will usually find you need to remove even more the following year.

thanks for the good advice shibui.
yeah slightly changed the angle of the front so it was still leaning forward at the top but away at the bottom.

i know i need to remove a lot of branches its just trying to figure out which ones to remove. as once the wrong one is gone its gone for good and i done that before there are a lot of small ones around larger that i should just remove straight away, that might help me see the design.
i tried to draw it out yesterday but wasnt happy with what i came up with.

think i might sit on this one for awhile.

[shibui]

just trying to figure out which ones to remove. as once the wrong one is gone its gone for good

That is not entirely true Pebble and that's what I was hinting at earlier. Chinese elms bud profusely. After you cut off a branch you can expect lots of new buds to grow around the wound where the branch was. They also grow fast so you could have any of these branches replaced in a year or 2. Sometimes the existing branches are too straight/long/twisted/no ramification and it can be better in the long run to lop them all off right from the start (but don't do that until you've confirmed the existing ones are not good enough)
I usually start taking off smaller ones growing from the inside of curves. They will rarely be used in the design anyway. Also, as you said, remove smaller branches from near the base of useful looking good thickness ones. Near the top I usually start cutting out thicker branches so the apex will have lighter, thinner branching.
After that see what's left.

[/think i might sit on this one for awhile.quote] I have discovered that procrastination is the biggest enemy of bonsai development. I finally realised that if I cannot decide between 2 different options it must mean that both are equally good, therefore it doesn't matter which option I choose. Either will produce a good result This is how workshop leaders manage. They assess the possible options then choose one and go for it. The result is good and you never get to see the alternative so it does not matter.

If you have a problem deciding - toss a coin and never regret a choice afterwards.

[pebble]

Thanks again mate, This has been extremely helpful. I also stopped in at the nursery on the way home today and got a little advice from Leong. And he basically said exactly what you just have. So started thining it out again today. And feel I have a better idea of what I planing with it and just drew this very crude drawing

Will hit it again on the weekend and wire it up and see what I come up with


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[MattHags]

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[pebble]

So thanks to everyone for their advice.
It really helped me with seeing the great little bonsai that was in this corky bark elm.
I spent some time and thinned it right out, removed a lot of branches and wired it into shape and this is what I came up with.

Front


Left Side


Back


Right


I'm really happy with its shape and with some ramification in a few years I think I will have a really great tree.




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[[ Kane ]]

Great job!
The front looks good, great choice.

[Jarad]

I really like the back TBH.

There are a lot of bar branches in the front, which can cause some reverse taper.

[shibui]

I think Jarad is picking up what I'm seeing. Still way too many branches on this tree. The branches you want to develop will need space to grow so I would get rid of at least a few more.
One past bonsai teacher would say 'Leave room for the birds and butterflies'

The trunk shape looks good from that angle. I think this will grow into a good bonsai.

[pebble]

Bit of an update happened on this one today.



Also picked up a pot for it, that I will put it in late winter.



Still has a lot of developing to do over the next few years and even some more branches to be removed.



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[Kevin]

I like this little tree Pebble,

Well done, it's going to be a nice bonsai soon.

Kevin

[TimS]

Can't make my mind up on whether i like the trunk on this tree or not! Certainly a different tree and i guess there is not much to be gained from air-layering the bottom of the trunk of as it would just make it look like many other elms. They are a little uncommon so regardless of what you do try to grow some cuttings if you are pruning good bits off it in future!

[shibui]

They are a little uncommon so regardless of what you do try to grow some cuttings if you are pruning good bits off it in future!

I'm not sure that I'd say Chinese elms are uncommon At most shows that I go to you'll see more than a few. They are, however, quite good material for beginners to learn with as well as for more experienced growers to make great bonsai from.
I'd be confident in saying this one is the result of a root cutting. It is rare to see branches the shape of this trunk and I haven't seen anyone wiring to make trunks that look like that but it is common to prune off roots that have unusual bends and most elms grow really easily from root cuttings.

Your tree looks quite good at the moment Pebble but I predict that, as it grows, there will be far too many branches. I've found that it is better to begin to remove extra branches a little early because the extra space allows the ones left to grow and ramify much quicker than if they are competing with neighbours for light and nutrients. You actually end up with a better tree a few years earlier that way.

[TimS]

Cork Bark Elm is a little uncommon i mean sorry, non Cork Bark Chinese Elm is a dime a dozen