[KCPOOLE] Chinese Elm

[kcpoole]

Species = Chinese Elm
Size = hard to tell is it currently in a deep pot lying at an angle, I have no idea how deep it is planted as well. I guess maybe 10-15 Cm?
Source = Cutting from a friends tree when he reduced the height.
Cost = Nil

It was an experiment to see how large a cutting I can take and this is one of 2 I took and the only one to survive. I was planted late winter / early spring last year ( 2012) and has been growing and since then.
I will not be able to do very much until I repot this winter to see what I have, so it will be a big surprise then

Ken

[kcpoole]

Now we are Heading in to winter, I thought I will repot this now as Chinese Elms do not go deciduous at home.
took out of the big pot it was grown from Cutting in and was quite surprised with the roots. About 6 quite thick ones that are all the same size,a nd evenly distributed around the pot.
Repotted up into a Smaller Ceramic pot and wired him up. Leave now till spring then fertilize heavily

I forgot to measure it, but at the moment will be only about 6-7 inches tall.

Ken

[Ninegrain]

Nice looking tree, and great roots for such a short time. Lucky guy Does it have wire on in those photos and I just can't see it?

[kcpoole]

Nice looking tree, and great roots for such a short time. Lucky guy Does it have wire on in those photos and I just can't see it?

Thanks
No I wired it after taking photos and potting up

Ken

[Neli]

Did you trim the roots?
How much % ?
I thought this is the wrong season for repotting, but you should know better than me. I want to know if I can repot plants here also now? It is still very warm...but not hot. Our seasons are the same as yours.

[Ninegrain]

Lol thought so. I Would love to see what you decided on for branch placement etc. I have a little elm of similar structure that i will either just grow on or start to develop if I can see a tree in it. I'm interested in the direction you decide to take with this one.

[kcpoole]

@Neli, I took off about 3/4 of the roots to fit in the smaller training pot. That way the next repot into a bonsai pot will be much less work and thus the recovery will be faster.
The over night temps are down to about 7-8 Deg C and will not get much colder for me. A few will get down lower but not too many.
the day times are about 18 - 20 Deg which is about what we will get thru most of the winter here in Sydney.
I repotted now, as i wnated to get it sorted out faster, and see what I had to work with.

@ ninegrain, I will take some after photos on the weekend for you to have a look at the branch placement


Ken

[kcpoole]

Took some additional pics yesterday to show the potted up tree

Ken

[kcpoole]

Little one has taken off madly since the end of winter ( did we actually have one)
anyway lots of new foliage and growth.

I will have to work this one hard to fill in over the next year, but need to let the branches thicken without much trimming till chrisy at least.

Ken

[kcpoole]

Doing really well and filling in nicely.
Decided just to keep trimming to build as much ramification as i can as the branches will not thicken much while i keep it under control so I can at least concentrate on good foliage ramification and shape

Doubt i will be able to do much re the reverse taper in the trunk.
Ken

[Neli]

Progressing very well Ken.

[kcpoole]

Still going strong but needs now to thicken the foliage and ramification

Ken

[kcpoole]

Gone to sleep now for the winter.
About the only chines elm that does here

Ken

[kcpoole]

Potted this one up today so it can settle in to the pot and put on good growth before the comp end

The pot is too deep for the tree, and will not be the final one, but after pushing trees too hard with root pruning in previous comps, and losing them, i will take this one slower and do a gradual reduction.

Also a larger pot shodu give better growth and the low branches will over the next few years, put on some trunk girth low down to alleviate the reverse taper

It has nice radial rooting and have kept them buried a little to help bulk them up for the moment.

Ken

[kcpoole]

This little Bugger is why I have run out of time to get better pics of all my tree!
it has only just shot out this week and has hardly any foliage I have been waiting as long as possible for it to shoot and look decent and unfurtunately has suffered quite a bit of die back

It is doing OK now so just have to keep at it for thenext few years
I hope to get a nicely ramified elm and if I can get some low branches, i will let them escape to thicken the lower trunk

A fun tree but much different than all my other ones on the benches.

Ken