Corky Bark elm [Keels]

[Keels]

Hi everyone,

I thought i would start posting some details on a few trees i'm trying to develop/create into interesting bonsai. This tree below is a corky bark elm. It started out in life as a long skinny seedling i purchased at the Canberra Bonsai show in October 2017. Back then i was into bonsai but i never really had done or tried anything with any of the trees i had in my garden. This was the first time i had started to use the information i had read about online and in a few books.

This is the tree back in 2017. See the red circle for the elm in question. The tree was placed into a colander and buried with three other elms.

2017-corkybarkelm.jpg

Not much to report on from that day since it was planted. I fertilised the tree heavy with blood and bone. I trimmed all the new growth on the tallest point so that it would grow as tall and thick as possible. Now, was that right to do? i don't know but it seemed to work. I also didn't wire this tree at any stage. Now i totally regret it and wish i wired earlier. I thought i would be able to wire it at a later stage but as i learnt it was just too damn thick by the time i went to try. But i think it might still be ok. let me show you below.

As it was today. I moved house in October this year and i had to dig out all my trees in the ground. So it was in the ground for almost 2 years. As you can see i let the top grow out but since its not in the ground it didn't seem to have any effect like it had in the past.

corky-bark-elm-today.jpg

I cleaned out the mess and weeded the soil to see what i had. Normally these trees had like 4 foot of grass around them so it was hard to control. i did notice a bar branch. Now i didnt remove it today, but i think it should go as it could thicken that area to much and cause reverse taper. But im stuck on which branch to remove. Left or right?

corky-bark-elm bark branch.jpg

Ill show you the movement i see in the trunk. I don't imagine this tree being very large maybe no larger then shohin. So i think i can get away with this movement. what do you think?

corky-bark-elm movement.jpg

So from here I've chopped the top and i'm going to try and get the very low branch to grow more to thicken the trunk. I think that should work well. At my new joint i cant plant anything into the ground now....so that's out of the question. How would every one else thicken their trunks?

corky-bark-elm top-gone.jpg

corky-bark-elm grow-out.jpg

2020 will hopefully see some development into the branch structure and maybe more to a bonsai pot if all going well.

Super happy for any feedback. Thanks for reading below is the end result so far. Not bad for 2 years work i think.

[MJL]

Hi Keels,

Thanks for the post. I am looking forward to seeing more of your trees.

Re: the bar branch - I reckon the one on the inside of the curve goes( ie - the one on the left, keep the one on the right).

For what it’s worth, I also think there’s enough movement in the trunk for this to develop into a cool tree. The movement is subtle but this can work in your favour - less contrived. Aggressive bends can sometimes look manufactured.

This will look natural, I reckon.

Cheers for the post.

Mark


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Watto]

I'm with Mark on which of the bar branches to remove. If you were to keep the left branch in a short period of time it will take that subtle curve out of the trunk.
This does show the benefit of ground growing but also emphasises the need to work on those trees while they are in the ground, a good lesson for all of us.
PS - probably a good thing you have moved because once you have "ground grown" elms they are like a weed and will be there forever and every where.

[tgooboon]

I think i would cut above branch 4 and let the branch on left continue as the trunk. It seems to have a nice angle to take over as leader and would also give nice taper. Agree with others on which bar branch

[Keels]

I think i would cut above branch 4 and let the branch on left continue as the trunk. It seems to have a nice angle to take over as leader and would also give nice taper. Agree with others on which bar branch

HI tgooboon, I wasn't thinking of creating a new leader until you posted this comment I totally agree I think that would continue the movement through the trunk. As you can see it's a little straight after the number 4 in the picture.

So I'll cut at the green line and use the branch as the new leader. I reckon that will set it up for a good future.

Also thanks Mark and watto. It makes sense now to remove the left branch. I'll do that this arvo and report back.

Thanks guys

[Keels]

I have re-potted my corky bark elm last weekend. Thought i'd show the root flare.

corky-bark-elm (1).JPG

corky-bark-elm (3).JPG

I used the plastic tag from a Maxxis mountain bike tyre i purchased some time in 2018. As you can see it's worked well. Just goes to show you can recycle almost anything

corky-bark-elm (2).JPG

[Watto]

Is there an annual update for this one?

[Keels]

Is there an annual update for this one?

Afraid not Watto. I sold this beauty in the Canberra bonsai show last year. I will see if i can convince the new owner to post an update. I actually moved on a lot of my growing trees on so I could focus on certain trees in the garden. this one was on the chopping block.