elm stump

[Jamie]

hey all, this is an elm stump i have had for a while.
i am trying to develop branch structure and ramification. it is quite healthy. the leaves are a little bit burnt from the wind but this is fresh growt hthat will probably come off when it comes out in full leaf.
development of pads and branch structure is key to this tree. to create something worth show, this is why i am putting it on i want opinions, design ideas, virtuals, advice its all good, so when ya check it out please leave a comment or idea.
i have more photos if needed, but i will start with this one while i am uploading the others and resizeing them, i have photos of 90 degree turns so you get all sides.


thanks all, jamie

ps. excuse my big toe. i only just noticed that LOL

[bodhidharma]

Hi Jamie,
I would like to know what sort of elm it is as they do respond differently Nice potential tree. Do you know it history and age?

[Jamie]

i got this at bunnings for 130 bucks. it was labeled chinese elm. the bark down low near the base of the trunk is starting to get rather thick and fissured tho so cant be certain. as for age it didnt say.
my guess is maybe ground grown for 15 years or so then in a smaller pot when i got it. only had the new leader on it and the branch on the right hand side. i have developed the left over the past 2 years from new growth it had when i bought it.so to be certain of the age unsure. it had a few sections of the trunk that were rotting. so i removed the rot and lime sulphured it to protect it. same on one of the main roots that goes to the back left side. will take some photos of that too.

[bodhidharma]

I love elms.I think they look better if you clip and grow them. It does take longer to develop but the end result is far superior. Looking forward to its development. their is a great book by Colin Lewis called THE ART OF BONSAI DESIGN if you can get hold of it do it.

[MelaQuin]

Well found and you have done the right thing. The toe is good... gives size perspective. Going to be a very nice tree by next year. I presume this was a tree and not a bonsai... never known Bunnings to have such a good potential bonsai at that size for that price.

[Jamie]

surprisingly this was being sold as a bonsai, i actually was very lucky with the price especially at bunnings this was labelled as a "medium" size bonsai when clearly compared to the other "medium" bonsai it had a far larger trunk diameter than the rest. this one being bit over 100mm across the base as cmpared to the others of about 30mm.
the other larger trees were up around the $300 mark.
i think there is still a lot of development for this one. although the growth rate is unbeleivable.
as for bunnings having trees with potential, out of the past four years this is the first and only one i have seen of this size and calibre.
i have basically been using clip and grow method the whole time, only just recently have i applied some wire to try get a bit better direction and movement i desire.
the foliage on this one is recently fresh bou two weeks old. when it fills out will shows the growth rate on it, probly 3-4 weeks at a guess.
will show a before and after of trimming
I havent seen that colin lewis book, but i have a few by craig coussins that i always seem to be going back to for reference or inspiration. he does such great work. i will get the rest of the photo's of this one on soon as possible, and i might try a virt of my own of where i think i will take it but i am open to any ideas and others virts. would be good to get a different perspective

[Jamie]

this is my crappy virt, how hard is it to create depth on a flat picture lol.

this is what i sorta pictured, along the lines any way. like i said everyone is welcome to hack the photo up to try and make it better or different in idea

[Jamie]

you can see from these pics where the dead wood is.

[bodhidharma]

I have a bonsai buddy on the Sunshine coast who cannot grow elms because they do not drop their leaves. they eventually become exhausted and die. Are you not in that category.

[Jamie]

this is the only one that i have and it seems to drop its leaves every year. or most there of.
what is left is generally taken off by myself.
i have had this trouble with maples tho. they just cant handle the all year growth. i get a few cold snaps especially at night during the winter which i think helps a lot in the situation of the tree going into dormancy.
i am two and a half hours or so north of the sunshine coast but your buddy shouldnt have to much issue.sometimes forceing the issue of romancy might help him. ie. kepping the tree in a cooler spot for most of the day with little to no sun, defoliating may help. i keep mine under shelter all year round where it gets most of the morning sun, but the rest of the time it is in the shade. using a method to keep the trees roots cooler for a period will help aswell. it will put it in to a sense of dormancy.
this has worked for me.
the one thing that might be a problem for your mate is the drying wind, i have found i need to keep my trees well watered because with this climate the wind and constant temperature and humidity can cause issues!