English Elm

[Bretts]

I was spraying fungicide today and most trees got a dose so alot of trees got a hedge trim including this one to make it easier to spray.

elm.jpg

Not sure if there are any roots growing on the trunk. Might have a look in spring. Not much I can do about it at the moment anyway

[Greth]

More water might just mean more new tender growth which would burn in summer heat. I don't water my main garden in summer, things go dormant, but survive better than if they were trying to push out new growth in 40+ heat. Summer dormancy is a normal protective mechanism, and works well to keep transpiration down in low humidities. If you are going to water it lots, keep it under at least light shadecloth and with some humidity around it, so it doesn't crisp.

Lack of water is only one of the trials of summer, low air humidity and direct sunlight are the other two, don't fix one problem unless you can fix all three.
But also, with a deciduous tree, the leaves have matured now, will be dropping in a few months, maybe it is just past the growth phase.

[Jamie]

from what i can see brett its looking good


jamie

[Bretts]

I have trees push growth all Summer long Greth even the cold climate ones. I have had tridents in full sun that haven't stopped putting out new growth even when we had the 40+ periods. It is often the mature leaves that burn not the new growth. Which opens up a whole new set of questions now I am sure my watering is up to scratch. I have a few of the English elms now and like clockwork they are one of the first to stop pushing out new growth.
Someone mentioned that Casurina will stop growing if you let them dry out. Yet they grow fine through the heat if you can keep them going. As the English elms have caught me out with how much water they go through I wondered if that could have anything to do with them going dormant over Summer. They definitely seem hardy enough for the climate as they grow wild around here.
I was talking to Grant about this and we discussed whether defoliating the English elm in the collection would give it a kick to keep it going so I would be interested to see if that happened and how it worked out?
We do lots of things to keep the trees growing or to get them to put on an extra lot of growth in the second half of the season.

I have found these guys act much the same in full sun or part shade. The only reason full sun gave this guy a shock was because I moved it in a period of High 30s They are tuff buggers it suffered a little leaf sun burn on a few leaves but was fine.

[Greth]

Might be just an Elm thing to be so sensitive then?

[Bretts]

Not sure if sensitive is the right word. Any tree that can go from shade to full sun in almost 40 deg heat is a tuff tree. I think slack is a better description

[Jamie]

I have found these guys act much the same in full sun or part shade.

did you notice any change in internode length brett? growing in a part shade environment would increase the node length i reckon, as where kept in full sun would keep them as tight as possible!

the one i had seemed to be thirsty all the time aswell, and t would take up fert pretty well too, just pumped it full of the stuff, it responded well to, the other thing i notice was that once leaves got reduced they stayed down well even with heavy fert and some shade cover they kept pretty much a 25mm length x 15-20mm wide leaf. i had done the leaf reduction work myself.

the one i am getting this week seems to have naturally small leaves, she did seem to think the tree is a dwarf cultivar but i am not sure about that?


jamie

[Bretts]

I was given one of these from a friend and It had been in a bonsai pot for a while. The leaves have always been pretty small on it but I thought that was just pot cultivation.
I can't help you with the difference in internode length though Jamie as my others are collected and as long as the tree seems happy I haven't paid them much attention.

elm.jpg

Remember this whopper I haven't paid much attention to internode lenght just that the bugger hasn't given me many shoots to work with down the trunk. It got a trim today as well.

I am looking forward to using the LINGNAN School of Penjing with this one. "Large Tree" or "Tall Tree;" "Towering Tree" Big massive trunk (dead wood holes) with cloud branches. Lindsay shows some in one of his first WOB movies. Some may say they are a bit topiary but I am really looking forward to training this guy up in this style This suits it so well as there won't be much need to cut back and regrow the top

[bundyfisher]

Good score Brett looking forward to progress ,any chance of a vert ?
Cheers
Tony

[Bretts]

I guess you mean a virt of the big one in LINGNAN, Large Tree style. I will have to watch some WOB again and do a quick sketch for you.

[Bretts]

I was just watching WOB again and tried to do a virt for you but decided taking a picture of the TV was easier
This is what I have in mind for the Large Elm.

elm.jpg

I called it LINGNAN School
But I now think it is SUZHOU School
I just wonder if I would have to specify what style it is in If I ever entered it in a competition as it may get dressed down as too topiary for today's western fashion

[MattA]

I called it LINGNAN School
But I now think it is SUZHOU School

Hey Brett, what is the difference between the 2 schools?

Matt

[Bretts]

Still trying to figure that out Matt
See here
viewtopic.php?f=96&t=2895&hilit=schools+of+penjing
and here though
https://www.phoenixbonsai.com/BigPicture ... l#Yangzhou

[Jamie]

brett i noticed in the background of the pick of that big elm that you have shopping baskets for grow boxes too they make ripper grow boxes hey drill a few holes in the bottom and your sweet.

[Bretts]

Yep but mine where given to me when the Wharehouse left Australia. These already have holes in the bottom I think.