Zelkova project

[treeman]

I thought I might post the development of this Zelkova over the next few years (If all goes to plan).

The tree is about 20 years old. It started as nursery stock and was about 5cm diameter when I cut the top off.
It spent the next few years in the ground. This tree has given me nothing but headaches for more than a decade.
After potting, it has refused to grow branches in the right place and refused to grow roots in the right place. I think this particular clone is not particularly good. The branch juctions are not acute enough so it will never form a classic broom like you see in the books. So I will just let the branches develop as they like rather than force them to be pefect.

Anyway....last year I was so tired of wrestling with it in the pot, I desided to plant it back in the ground.

It seemed to really enjoy that!
This winter after one year in the ground (from a ''bonsai''). No pruning at all. Brances grew almost 2 mt!

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Dug out:

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Some initial pruning:

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The nebari is not very good:

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It will probably need root grafting in the future

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The chosen front - more or less.

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So now to the proper pruning

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Take the time and go slowly because you cant put them back!

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I thought this might be enough but...

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...a bit more. Now it goes back into the ground....till next year....

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[Rory]

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news Mike. That last pic clearly shows you have grown the Kraken, from Pirates of the Carribbean. In particular, you have captured the scene where Captain Jack Sparrow hacks off its tentacles perfectly, well done.

This will be a fun thread to watch though as it starts to grow its hair again. I thought you said you were too old to start large projects.

[Andrew F]

I like your dedication to starting from stumps. Alot of my deciduous stuff [and figs] could probably benefit from the same level of removal.

[treeman]

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news Mike. That last pic clearly shows you have grown the Kraken, from Pirates of the Carribbean. In particular, you have captured the scene where Captain Jack Sparrow hacks off its tentacles perfectly, well done.

This will be a fun thread to watch though as it starts to grow its hair again. I thought you said you were too old to start large projects.

Well if I don't finish it someone else will but I think this will develop pretty quickly. 1 or 2 years more in the ground then back to a pot?

[treeman]

I like your dedication to starting from stumps.

I try to hammer that message home to anyone who will listen. (not many do though )
There is only one way to develop good deciduous trees and that is to start at the start, take your time and make sure that all the primary ramification is in a desirable postion. Without that you can never move to the next stage with confidence in the future. If you continue with the same method through to the tertiary branching stage you have basically finished the design and all you need is time for refinement. Unfortuately though, it is very difficult to demonstrate this at a club demo without 10 trees and a lot of slides. That's what makes a forum like this a good vehicle for this sort of thing.

[Andrew F]

Going apply this to a twin trunk elm a good mate gave me before he moved interstate, the last 6 months of neglect did nothing for it [My bad Beazo!!! ] and theres a fair amount of wire bite, so this technique will be the only way to fix it.

Thanks for sharing Treeman, look forward to some updates!

[Bonsaiforest]

Hey treeman... I think the nebari looked pretty natural... I've got a zelkova and its base doesn't even come close to what you've got. Think you've got some really great material. Have been trying to thicken up the base of mine in a large foam melon box. Think I may have to throw mine in the ground and see what happens.

Do you grow your your own cuttings to use as root grafts...?

[macca66]

Treeman,
I was looking at my Zelkova today and decided I've let it get way too leggy and was about to ask the forum how hard I can prune back.
Your pics have answered the question!

[treeman]

2017 and after 2 years in the ground without touching it.
Here it is with the branches cut back.

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The nebari is slowly improving but it will never be perfect. I don't really care too much about that. It's getting a bit big though, about 8 inches (29cm) !!

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Cleaned up and ready for hacking again

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A sense of size...

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All last years cuts were carved out.. @ Matt, you can see the 2 branches coming from the last cut. That's where you should be with yours this time next year (or the year after )

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Another branch which will have to go. There are no buds at the base of the new growth and it has an ugly bend which goes down before it goes back up. You can see it's relation to the tree in the third pic above.

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More later......

[treeman]

So here is the Zelkova after the final pruning.

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You can see that I have taken a lot off again but believe it or not there is progress. It's now up to it's second ramification - at least in some places - and by the time it reaches it's third it will be much easier and pretty quick from then on. In other words it should look like something by then.

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Another look at the trimmed roots and nebari.

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More progress!!
It's going back into a pot
Because I want to really pump the feed for the next 2 years I am potting it in a mix that will allow this.
The bottom layer is very coarse....(I know many people don't bother with this layer, but I still do)

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More later.........

[Pearcy001]

Never saw this thread until now. Following with interest mate nic job.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[KIRKY]

That's a serious trunk Mike . Look forward to seeing it develop over the next few years. Thanks for posting updates.
Cheers
Kirky

[treeman]

The next (main) layer is similar but about half the size and has bark in it. This is normally the kind of mix you would use on a big pine not a deciduous tree, but the purpose here is to grow thick branches and thick roots.

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Plenty of air space for the roots but.....

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...I used some finer mix to make better contact around the roots.

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Topped up with the main mix and a thin layer of the fine mix.

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I like to use a mulch to hold the mix in place and maintain humidity close to the surface of the substrate. I used chopped tree fern fibre and sphagnum but you can use what ever works.

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I will be able to have more control over the branches with the tree back in a pot. I hope it will stay potted now but who knows. I hope new branches will grow in good places, I hope a lot of things... If the branches have not developed well after a couple of years it may have to go back in the ground for one more year?? Finished for now.....

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[treeman]

2015

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2017

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The two low scars are almost closed. There is a difference trust me!

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

"A classic broom ..just like you see in the books"
Just what everyone's styling of Zelkova should aspire too - haven't we progressed?
In 50 +years time, our future generation's "bonsai" will all look identical - made form the same recipe that's been circulating in books for years.
(I guess they can always cut back to a stump - and start again?)

Which forum are the "trees" styled in....you know ...just like you see in nature?