Elm McPherson

[GavinG]

I collected this English Elm sucker last year, along with some others. The usual story - fat grumpy old bloke hacking away halfway up an embankment with a mattock and a bush saw, blizzard blowing, funny looks, can barely carry the damn thing to the car.

It survived, and was named Elm McPherson because it was slender, graceful and WAAAAY outa my league...

First repot today, and now we find out what we've got. It's about a metre, nose to tail:

This is more or less what I had in mind:

P1070400.jpg

But this root at the back made it impossible.

P1070401.jpg

This is the best compromise:

P1070405.jpg

But this also happened when I straightened it up.

P1070404.jpg

More to follow.

Gavin

[GavinG]

Now to sort out the branches. There are three closely-spaced vertical branches - do I lose the middle one, or the two outer branches?

P1070407.jpg

Because branching was fairly sparse further out, I took the two branches from here.

P1070411.jpg

A bit of a tidy-up:

P1070412.jpg

and I'll leave it there for now. I want to see what it will look like when the leaves fill out the spaces.
The low right branch will probably go, and I'm not sure how far I'll let the trunk wander off - by the magic of the Virtual Placemats, here's one option.

P1070415.jpg

Gavin

[Damian Bee]

Great looking tree

Would you consider....

P1070415.png

[bodhidharma]

Quite a few options Gavin. I really did like the top photo and dont know why you didnt go with it Its an E.E and would have survived that planting angle and cutting away the offending section.. E.E's are tough. In the last photo the tree would make a stunning Shohin if you decided to head that way. Cut the large right hand branch away, pick the new leader out of the choices you have and should be a nice tree within five years.

[Sno]

G'day Gavin ,she is going to turn heads with a body like. Some lovely movement. Do you have a pot in mind the reason I ask is you have planted it close to the edge of the grow box.
Cheers Craig

[anttal63]

I LIKE !!! VERY MUCH !!!

[Tony Bebb]

G'day Gavin

I agree with Bodhi. No reason you couldn't have gone with the first pic and cut off the offending roots. But no matter. Have you considered cutting to the second left branch which comes from the to of the trunk. Good movement with great taper and proportion. Can I ask why you did plant so close to the edge of the pot? It will limit the development of roots on that side.

Love the name. She is beautiful.

Tony

[GavinG]

Thanks for your considered replies, gentlemen.

Bodhi and Tony, if that big root goes, there's sweet damn all left - all the smaller roots come out from under that big one. It won't ever be shohin, I can barely lift the thing. Sno, it's over that far because there aren't any roots on that side, and that's the only thing I had that would fit it. Very scientific.

To all who suggested shortening, you are right, but I won't. Your suggestions would make a very good "bonsai" - it would more or less fit better to a pattern, but that flying way out arm is what makes the tree special to me. It will end up an "overlooking the water" style - I don't want to say Penjing, because I know damn all about it, but they do it quite a lot in Hong Kong. It has a special energy. Mind you, in leaf I might hate it.

Thanks again,

Gavin

[Josh]

Why not plant it back on its original angle, tooth pick the hell out of the bottom to get heaps of new roots then remove the big chunky root. I'm in love with Elm McPherson at that angle

Josh

[bodhidharma]

Bodhi and Tony, if that big root goes, there's sweet damn all left - all the smaller roots come out from under that big one.

But it is called ..PATIENCE..develop a root system first to allow you to be able to cut the offending root off at a later date. You had it right first photo and i have found the first gut feeling is generally the right one. Oh well, next time.

[Tony Bebb]

Good on ya Gavin.

Knowing what you want is half the battle. If you don't like it in leaf it can always be removed later. It's a lot easier than getting it back. I would certainly go with the slight reduction you suggeated with the virtual place mats, as the shorter it is the more powerful the trunk looks. That's what my suggestion was based on.

Tony

[GavinG]

I'll show you what I've decided in maybe 10 or 20 years... You've certainly made me reconsider.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

(Thinking noises.)

Gavin