My new Chinese elm

[Beano]

Dear gawd this tree... finally, after years, it’s starting to look ok! But, it’s really wobbly in the pot. It’s in 50:50 pumice:potting mix. How can I encourage stronger root growth? It sends out new growth on top all the time and appears healthy but it doesn’t seem to have a supportive structural root system.

After repot Oct/Nov2019 (sorry no root pics):




Today, after pruning and new wiring, excuse my crappy wiring (Jan 2020):





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[tgward]

bury it deeper by a couple of inches and don't touch it for two years

[greg27]

This is a great progression thread Beano, thanks for keeping it updated.

[shibui]

Roots usually reflect the top. To get good root growth you probably need to let it grow some twigs and leaves. Feed well and don't trim for a while?
The other thing is what sort of roots it currently has. Chinese elm tend to have just a few long roots from the trunk. Roots usually only branch where they have been pruned. My best rooted Chinese elms were root pruned really hard early on. The result is lots more roots from the cut ends and from the trunk. It can never grow new roots from the base of the trunk while it is exposed to air so adding some more potting mix might also help. A couple of inches is too deep IMHO in case you get roots too high up the trunk but a few cm should be better.

[Beano]

Thanks for your replies everyone! I will try some extra soil. I’m tempted to take it off a display shelf so I’m less tempted to trim it... it looks so ridiculous when I let the twigs grow though! It’s got a natural Shari up the trunk on one side (not visible in photos) so it’ll never get roots there. I’ve always been hard on it’s roots when it comes to pruning but still so wobbly. It’s only in the last few repots that it has been that wobbly.


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[KIRKY]

When I occasionally get one with wobbly roots during a repot, I cut/score into the base of the trunk put on some hormone powder or gel whatever I have at the time. Put some pearlite around the trunk then cover with soil. Not sure what it is about pearlite seems to suck out the roots from the trunk. Had a bag split and left it on top of a standard gardenia in a pot when I went to removed it found the gardenia had sprouted roots all around into the pearlite.
Cheers
Kirky

[terryb]

I’ve always been hard on it’s roots when it comes to pruning but still so wobbly. It’s only in the last few repots that it has been that wobbly.

Supporting the tree with some guy wires will also help to stop it moving around while the new roots are developing. I normally run three 1mm wires from the trunk to the pot edge to support trees where I go hard on the roots. Your chosen grow pot already has holes on the rim but it is easy to add extra if required. I normally remove/loosen the wires later in the season once the tree has become firm (generally once the first flush hardens) before trunk thickening gets underway.

[Beano]

A few weeks later, I have buried it slightly deeper. It’s sprouted a bit more so it’s continuing to make me smile that it’s starting to look nice!




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[KIRKY]

Great! Now all you have to do is get rid or the competing weeds
Cheers
Kirky

[Beano]

I know! It’s on the highest shelf on my wall though, it’s heavy and annoying to get down. I took the photo standing on the edge of our vege box trying not to fall down


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[Beano]

No repot this year. I’ve wired it in so it’s more stable, added more dirt a few times now and hopefully it’ll be stronger rooted next year. It went crazy with new growth so I trimmed it yesterday, forgetting completely about letting the top grow to support the roots LOL!




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[Akhi]

You might need to let the tree run a bit so it has some strong growth for a full season and then let it run the following spring too without any winter pruning and then go hard at the top growth without touching the roots. That should strike the balance right and may also help you get some latent buds popping in that bare area of the trunk if that’s something you ate also looking to do .

[Beano]

It’s no longer wobbly in the pot. I have not repot it again this year. It’s been on a bit of a sheltered shelf so even though it boomed this spring the back branches have died back a little. I have done a bit of a prune today. Unfortunately I also attempted an approach graft last year, as this is one of my trees I experiment with techniques on a little (it’s expendable) but the bloody branch I grafted died. I’ve taken a cutting to strike so if I try that again in a few years if I don’t get a branch in that bare area then it might be easier to direct the graft where I want it without bending it too much.







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[Beano]

This has grown well the last year. It actually went dormant early this year and has buds swelling so I’ve report it now. The roots look much better and overall as a tree I’m starting to hate it less that it doesn’t have that branch where I want it.





After - I’ve been toying with the idea of making this windswept



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[Kedron Brook]

Looks good man. Dunno what the bark is doing though, might benefit from a scrub. Interesting to see the recovery after the hard cut. Do you have any new thoughts about the path it took to get here?