Celtis advice

[hawkeyes]

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It has really come on in 4 months, I defoliated it today, do you think I should take a little bit more off the top?

[hawkeyes]

The subject is Celtis, typo. Anybody give some suggestions.

[Graeme]

I'd be inclined to chop the trunk off where it bends back to the right and use that branch growing from the inside of the bend as the new apex. Will help heaps with taper.

[Andrew Legg]

Do you have a vision for this tree? What you do with it depends very much on what you are trying to achieve. Without knowing what you are trying to achieve its very difficult to offer advice. You obviously have something in mind otherwise there would not be a branch bender on there working the trunk.

[Charliegreen]

Hawkeye,

Celtis make great broom Style Bonsai.
Slip pot that whip into a styrofoam fruit box.
Soil: 70% washed Diatomite, 15% coir peat, 15% potting mix
Fetilizer: Slam a full load of Seasol into Diatomes after repotting.
1 week later apply dynamic lifter and give it full sun everyday and water it everyday it needs it.
Apply Fertilizer again at some point Mid summer and keep watering.

Sit back and enjoy the show. Your Tree is in the development stage not the refinement stage. This talk of new apex, ect ect is all white noise.
Just focus on fattening that trunk. Sacrificial Branches are a good place to start.

The advice u have been given is an accurate snapshot of the ingrained systemic problems in how Bonsai is taught here.

[kcpoole]

Or cut back short and make a small shohin out of it,
Put in the ground or a large box is a several year timeframe to grow the trunk then anther several to grow branching and leaves.

cut back to right branch as the new leader, cut back to 1/3 the length to strat building some apex branching, Wire the branches and cut them back to start them ramifying. Work to build the little tree and ramified branches in the next 2 years and you will have a nice little tree.
Yep it wont have a big trunk, but it give you some satisfaction in not very long time.
Some of the bits you cut off, Put in as cuttings and grow on to get larger stock while learning on this one.

Ken

[Andrew Legg]

Hawkeye,

Celtis make great broom Style Bonsai.
Slip pot that whip into a styrofoam fruit box.
Soil: 70% washed Diatomite, 15% coir peat, 15% potting mix
Fetilizer: Slam a full load of Seasol into Diatomes after repotting.
1 week later apply dynamic lifter and give it full sun everyday and water it everyday it needs it.
Apply Fertilizer again at some point Mid summer and keep watering.

Sit back and enjoy the show. Your Tree is in the development stage not the refinement stage. This talk of new apex, ect ect is all white noise.
Just focus on fattening that trunk. Sacrificial Branches are a good place to start.

The advice u have been given is an accurate snapshot of the ingrained systemic problems in how Bonsai is taught here.

Hawkeye, above is another accurate snapshot of the ingrained systemic problems in how Bonsai is taught here. It entirely misses the fundamental question that should be asked before advice is given. What do you plan to achieve with this tree. Until you have communicated your vision for this tree, the above is just white noise. The question therefore remains.......what are you aiming for with this tree? If you have no specific goal in mind, the next step is to get a goal in mind. You can't work towards nothing. Different goals will have different routes to achieving them. The advice offered above may be one solution, but it can't be offered in absence of a plan.

So. What's your plan?

Cheers

[kcpoole]

Hawkeye, above is another accurate snapshot of the ingrained systemic problems in how Bonsai is taught here. It entirely misses the fundamental question that should be asked before advice is given. What do you plan to achieve with this tree.

And I would like to add, What is the Skill level / Bonsai stage of the tree owner?

Hawkeye has a Bonsai age of 1 yr, so i assume wants to have a tree that looks nice to him and can teach him the skills to develop a tree, Yep growing on stock is a skill we all need, but is not what a 1 year veteran wants to do. (yet)
Learn wiring, Trimming and pruning, leaf reduction if applicable and then in due time look at planting stock out to grow on when ready to take that step and commitment.

In the meantime, as andrew suggests, think about what you would like to see this tree as and that will suggest a direction to head.

Ken

[EdwardH]

Great advice from all the above.

One wants an instant tree with a smallish trunk, the other wants a fat trunk requiring a few years of growth to achieve.

Andrew has hit the nail on the head re a plan.

Where do you want to take this tree? Once you answer that question you will then be in a position to obtain good advice to achieve your goal.

[Tambrand]

Draw a design and ground grow if you need a larger trunk.
Laters
Tambrand

Here is Celtis l. in a colander after removal from ground growing.

[hawkeyes]

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Ok guys, first of all I am in a "can't wait for it to grow stage, being a senior citizen", female and always loved Bonsai. I wish I had started years ago, but raising a family never had the time. So my helpers, thus my hesitancy on replying to your very good responses to my post.
Thank you Ken and Andrew for your advice, I just would like an advanced Bonsai in a hurry, but realise this is futile.
Could you advise me on snapshot of Celtis where to trim back to. Would, where I have marked the spot, be to cut back to??

[kcpoole]

maybe cut and inch or 2 above there, you can utilise the taper from the bottom section to that upward pointing section.
the new leader will then have 3 different size in the trunk

Ken

[Andrew Legg]

I agree with Ken. Feed it lots of pizza!

[hawkeyes]

Thanks guys.