More than a stick...

Forum for discussion of Deciduous bonsai – Maples, Crabapple, Hornbeam, Elm species etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

More than a stick...

Post by MJL »

I’m am emotionally tied to this orphan. It was generic crud nursery stock - sale bench stuff.

I adopted this Chinese Elm - after paying a solid blue note - or was it purple? Some may say I over paid - I mean $10 goes a long way to half a hamburger these days.

Anyway I ramble. I’m fond of the Elm - it was an early opportunity to experiment and it’s a survivor.

Now I’m a bit lost and I reach out for ideas.

I made Jin on top a few years back - very little craftsmanship there! I like the upright nature - it’s like - hey I’ve had a tough life but I’m still standing ‘better than I’ve ever been’ (queue Elton John) .... I ramble again.

So - do I keep a two tiered horizontal upper canopy or do I drag the branches down and create a Literati of a more traditional style.

Thoughts? And... ‘Hey Mark... how about the bin’ - is probably a bit harsh. :-)
IMG_5162.JPG
IMG_5163.JPG
IMG_5164.JPG
IMG_5165.JPG

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by MJL on September 15th, 2018, 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
Boics
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2189
Joined: September 27th, 2012, 6:16 pm
Favorite Species: Banksia, Syzygium, Cotoneaster. Leptospermum
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Victoria Inner City Fringe
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by Boics »

No literati will look totally unnatural for this stock.
Me thinks just continue to develop a taller more feminine style or cut back to first branch and do the same!

As another option I'd be surprised if a total trunk chop to just just above the nebari didn't shoot and provide options to develop a small tree..
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful
User avatar
squizzy
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 1438
Joined: March 2nd, 2011, 4:12 pm
Favorite Species: pines
Bonsai Age: 10
Location: sydney
Has thanked: 20 times
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by squizzy »

Air layer, air layer, air layer

Squizzy
1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55..............................
tgward
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 476
Joined: June 15th, 2015, 6:23 pm
Bonsai Age: 31
Location: Winkie
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 44 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by tgward »

firstly I would slip pot a little deeper in a good size grow pot(make sure to tidy the nebari as best you can) and feed well -then use clamps and benders to increase the movement in the lower trunk below the first branch--- keep everything on the tree to try to increase girth at the base--allow any new shoots to grow out crazily for a couple of seasons.Hopefully this should increase your options
KIRKY
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 1968
Joined: May 21st, 2009, 3:42 pm
Favorite Species: Flowering
Bonsai Age: 12
Bonsai Club: BSV
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1155 times
Been thanked: 245 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by KIRKY »

These Elms are pretty much indestructible. If it were mine I'd cut it down to a height that you would like it to be. Liquid feed aggressively for the next few months and it will shoot everywhere along the trunk at this time of year. You can choose what to keep and can start ramification back to first/second shoot etc... As soon as next year.
These Chinese Elms power on given the right treatment.
Cheers
Kirky.
Great oaks from little acorns grow.
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by MJL »

Cheers for all the thoughts and ideas provided thus far ... food for thought.
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
boom64
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 1105
Joined: November 11th, 2009, 9:03 pm
Favorite Species: Almond
Bonsai Age: 2
Location: South Coast NSW
Has thanked: 274 times
Been thanked: 394 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by boom64 »

Hi Mark ,I know you are a fan of Zhao Qingquans Literati book. (fantastic trees ).Maybe something along Su Rens style... Mix up the collection a little. Cheers John.
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by MJL »

boom64 wrote:Hi Mark ,I know you are a fan of Zhao Qingquans Literati book. (fantastic trees ).Maybe something along Su Rens style... Mix up the collection a little. Cheers John.
Hey John,
Thanks for your tip. Excuse my ignorance - Su Rens Style? I’ve quickly checked the Google bot but could not easily find a reference - or is it in the book? I can check it out tomorrow. Cheers, Mark


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by MJL »

MJL wrote:
boom64 wrote:Hi Mark ,I know you are a fan of Zhao Qingquans Literati book. (fantastic trees ).Maybe something along Su Rens style... Mix up the collection a little. Cheers John.
Hey John,
Thanks for your tip. Excuse my ignorance - Su Rens Style? I’ve quickly checked the Google bot but could not easily find a reference - or is it in the book? I can check it out tomorrow. Cheers, Mark
Thanks again John and ... I have re-appeared from a rabbit hole in search of Su Ren... and found many articles to learn from. This extract points to the Lingnan School of Chinese Penjing it is in this school which I find the elusive Su Ren:

"The other modern style, "Towering Tree," has trees noted for their lean, clean, tall, pure appearance. Growth is luxuriant, although the lines are well-spaced with a sparse yet coherent foliage distribution. The trees have an elegant, floating quality and impart a certain aloofness from worldly affairs, a desire to rise above the trivial. Emphasis on the soaring trunkline and small, open -- rather than lush -- foliage masses portrays a desire to shed the cares of a material world and reach heavenward. The most famous example of this style is another major work by Lu Xuenming, a 57"H Surinam cherry ( Eugenia uniflora ) named "Holding Up the Sky." It has become part of the Weyerhaueser Pacific Rim Collection. 28
The founder and representative artist of this style is the Buddhist monk Su Ren (aka Su Jen or So-yan), from the Haichuang Monastery. Other outstanding followers of the Lingnan School include Messrs. Wu York Yu, Liu Fei Yat, Hung Tai Chor, Mok Man Fu, Luk Hok Ming, Tsui Hung Pui, Chan Kam Tak, Yu Shun Nam, Tang Heung Hoi, Wong Kam, Chan Tak Cheung, Kong Chee, Lee Shu Chik, Cheung Sui To, and Jim Ting Bor. Master Xie Keying, from Guangdong Province, is editor of China Flower & Penjing Magazine and co-author of Zhangjaing Penjing. Master Liu Zhongming is the author of Collector's Rare and Precious Lingnan Penjing, Art in Shaping Lingnan Penjing, and Art and Technique of Lingnan."

Others may be interested - I found this two articles insightful. Grab a coffee or tea though - there's some history here!

http://www.bonsaiinformation.com/Penjing.htm
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
User avatar
melbrackstone
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3441
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 8:05 pm
Favorite Species: the ones that live
Bonsai Age: 28
Bonsai Club: Redlands, BIMER, VNBC
Location: Brisbane
Has thanked: 1190 times
Been thanked: 707 times
Contact:

Re: More than a stick...

Post by melbrackstone »

pen.jpg
Perhaps something like this? http://bit.ly/2NIpvqF
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Ryceman3
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2595
Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
Bonsai Age: 7
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 1041 times
Been thanked: 1535 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by Ryceman3 »

Hi MJL,
I saw your pics and they reminded me of this :
viewtopic.php?f=158&t=22396#p225664
Or maybe this :
viewtopic.php?f=158&t=22397#p225666
These were two trees I gave a bit of “love” to in the most recent Ausbonsai shohin comp. I ended up with more than I bargained for as you can see in these threads so I advise digging around, in and under the soil surface. If you’re gonna trunk chop you might want to get on with it... although I understand that isn’t your first thought. But, in case you change your mind I ended up with 4 trees from the main trunks and about 12 cuttings that have grown on nicely, so not bad for less than $15... I’d chop, you could layer for sure but make sure the layer is worth layering, otherwise you just delay developing the final trunk, cuttings have a good chance of developing if you want to go there.
:yes:
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: More than a stick...

Post by MJL »

OK - this is tricky. Thanks everyone.

So many ideas - one tree.

MelB's pic was great for inspiration - that is where my head is at.

Then ... bl@@dy R3 goes an throws spanners in all sorts of works. :tu: R3 - those two threads that you provided are fantastic. Thank you. Really helpful and inspirational. For some reason, I did not really understand ground layering and then your thread cleared it up for me. Then there's the trunk chopping and finding secondary roots under the soil surface. Then there's banging out bonsai while watching the cricket :clap: Well played!

Anyway - I think I might keep my Chinese Elm and developed some form of Literati and also ... go get some cheap, sh!tty Chinese Elms and go all R3 on 'em. :tu2:
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
Post Reply

Return to “Deciduous”