Chinese Elm hollowed broom

[alpineart]

This was a large root cutting from my big elm , taken many years ago .It was 1 of the stay root that had grown up against a solid rock 200mm from the main trunk .It was like a club root .It is about 130mm x 100mm at the base , a 50mm trunk and about 300mm high .I had a good canopy on top quite a few years ago with 7 leaders but it was too confined so last year i removed 4 leaders .I potted it into a red scoria and pine bark mix and sat it in a water tray .

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The whole canopy was untrimmed for this season hoping to produce some roots to work with .

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A quick selective trim and it onto the butchering

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[alpineart]

Now its out with the drill and into some hollowing out of the trunk

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i drilled from underneath first then down from the top using a clean cutter spade bit .Some pilot holes were drilled into the side to aid carving

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With the drilling done

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its onto the carving and hollowing of the trunk .

[alpineart]

Out with the mini grinder and into the detailing

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With the carving finished its into the pot .

[alpineart]

Potted up and its another good trainer or a bonsai in the making

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Cheers and Happy Bonsai .Alpineart

[Craig]

Hi Alpine, great work mate , really nice base on your elm, are you going to reduce the height of the 3 main leaders?,

[alpineart]

Hi Craig , i hoping to rotate the leaders around 90 degree's and remove the thick ends of the original leader sections from the canopy . It certainly needs some serious wiring but that will wait until i have a few to wire .That way i will get into the right frame of mind ..Cheers Alpine

[Jamie]

hi alpine

I did just write out a few things and went to post and my reply just went out into the huge world of the internet, bloody computers.

basically what I was trying to say without being negative is I beleive that the leaders and canopy is somewhat a little distant from the main trunk. I think it needs some serious backbudding to fill the gap or some heavy wiring, which I know your capable of doing it either way. the carving is definately the way to go with this tree and has made a decent sized trunk quite interesting. I reckon a bit more of an offset "v" inbetween the main leaders will balance the tree more with the removal of one of the main leaders as the 3 is throwing the balance somewhat.
I have an irratic internet connection at the moment but I will try and get a pic of your tree to do a virt (first one I have done in a long time some might be a touch rough ) but will try and show where I think this potential broom could be in the next 5 years

will get back to you soon

J.

[alpineart]

Hi Jamie , unfortunately i cut the leaders off with the lower growth but they were thin ugly buggers and didn't suit my plan .I will put a padded strap around the base of the leaders and compress the trunk to give it a better taper . Done bun can't be undone . I don't want a twin leader tree or i would have carved the entire side out of the trunk .For a single leader i could fuse the 3 leaders together . Some serious wire work will make it or break it , might even put it back 5 years if it turns out wrong .Plenty of options even now that its hacked and chopped .Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Too cold to go to work so i decided to wire and trim the trainer .I added some raffia to the trunks then wired and rotated each one about 90 degree's .

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Guess there was an OH BUGGER moment or two but it can grow on for another season and i will see what i have left for the final design .I had to be extra careful not to dislodge the trunks from the stump ,

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rotating in the sort distance wasn't easy .Now just put it away and find another requiring work and there's plenty of them .Cheers Alpine

[Jamie]

gday Alpine

after seeing what you have done with the tree after wiring I now have a clearer picture of where you are going and why you kept the three leaders, works very well champ!

this was something along the line of what I seen in the trunk, sorry its a tad rough. this is the first virt I have done since coming back online and being a new computer I lost all my virtual parts and pictures which was a rather extensive collection which I aquired over a few years.

virt for alpines elm.jpg

what ya reckon?

J.

[alpineart]

Hi , Jamie not bad mate .But you can't read my mind , i'm actually seriously thinking of fusing to 3 leaders together with some hollows included between the trunks ..Try a vert for along those lines .It will become a single leader and increase about 100mm in height .The trunk and the leaders will need more compressing .Cheers Alpine

[Jamie]

cool matey

will give it a whirl for ya, will be good to get the practice in give me a bit of time and I will see what I can come up with, if you go with a fuse will you be planning in an informal upright style or stick with a broom variation?

J.

[Dwi]

Good progression Alpine.

I like your style, you think of doing a project and then just go for it - and no pussy-footing around! Where there's a will........

Be interesting to see this with those three leaders fused together. Do you think there would be a danger of snapping them all off the remnants of the trunk?

[Dario]

Great work alpine!
Did you use a wood hardener on the inside of the trunk that you hollowed out to stop future rot?
If so, what do you use for deciduous trees?
I am asking becuase as I understand lime sulphur is mostly used on conifers, but I am not a fan of it on deciduous trees even if it is diluted and coloured etc...
Cheers, Dario

[alpineart]

cool matey

will give it a whirl for ya, will be good to get the practice in give me a bit of time and I will see what I can come up with, if you go with a fuse will you be planning in an informal upright style or stick with a broom variation?

J.

Hi Jamie , i think a broom style canopy , however i like the branches hanging down to form pads lower down .Light and airy around the base with more of a broom style apex . . I may have to thread graft a few new branches above the lower first , second and rear branches to fill the voids with a more substantal branch without cluttering up the mid section .Cheers Alpine