More than a stick...

[MJL]

I’m am emotionally tied to this orphan. It was generic crud nursery stock - sale bench stuff.

I adopted this Chinese Elm - after paying a solid blue note - or was it purple? Some may say I over paid - I mean $10 goes a long way to half a hamburger these days.

Anyway I ramble. I’m fond of the Elm - it was an early opportunity to experiment and it’s a survivor.

Now I’m a bit lost and I reach out for ideas.

I made Jin on top a few years back - very little craftsmanship there! I like the upright nature - it’s like - hey I’ve had a tough life but I’m still standing ‘better than I’ve ever been’ (queue Elton John) .... I ramble again.

So - do I keep a two tiered horizontal upper canopy or do I drag the branches down and create a Literati of a more traditional style.

Thoughts? And... ‘Hey Mark... how about the bin’ - is probably a bit harsh.

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[Boics]

No literati will look totally unnatural for this stock.
Me thinks just continue to develop a taller more feminine style or cut back to first branch and do the same!

As another option I'd be surprised if a total trunk chop to just just above the nebari didn't shoot and provide options to develop a small tree..

[squizzy]

Air layer, air layer, air layer

Squizzy

[tgward]

firstly I would slip pot a little deeper in a good size grow pot(make sure to tidy the nebari as best you can) and feed well -then use clamps and benders to increase the movement in the lower trunk below the first branch--- keep everything on the tree to try to increase girth at the base--allow any new shoots to grow out crazily for a couple of seasons.Hopefully this should increase your options

[KIRKY]

These Elms are pretty much indestructible. If it were mine I'd cut it down to a height that you would like it to be. Liquid feed aggressively for the next few months and it will shoot everywhere along the trunk at this time of year. You can choose what to keep and can start ramification back to first/second shoot etc... As soon as next year.
These Chinese Elms power on given the right treatment.
Cheers
Kirky.

[MJL]

Cheers for all the thoughts and ideas provided thus far ... food for thought.

[boom64]

Hi Mark ,I know you are a fan of Zhao Qingquans Literati book. (fantastic trees ).Maybe something along Su Rens style... Mix up the collection a little. Cheers John.

[MJL]

Hi Mark ,I know you are a fan of Zhao Qingquans Literati book. (fantastic trees ).Maybe something along Su Rens style... Mix up the collection a little. Cheers John.

Hey John,
Thanks for your tip. Excuse my ignorance - Su Rens Style? I’ve quickly checked the Google bot but could not easily find a reference - or is it in the book? I can check it out tomorrow. Cheers, Mark


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[MJL]

Hi Mark ,I know you are a fan of Zhao Qingquans Literati book. (fantastic trees ).Maybe something along Su Rens style... Mix up the collection a little. Cheers John.

Hey John,
Thanks for your tip. Excuse my ignorance - Su Rens Style? I’ve quickly checked the Google bot but could not easily find a reference - or is it in the book? I can check it out tomorrow. Cheers, Mark

Thanks again John and ... I have re-appeared from a rabbit hole in search of Su Ren... and found many articles to learn from. This extract points to the Lingnan School of Chinese Penjing it is in this school which I find the elusive Su Ren:

"The other modern style, "Towering Tree," has trees noted for their lean, clean, tall, pure appearance. Growth is luxuriant, although the lines are well-spaced with a sparse yet coherent foliage distribution. The trees have an elegant, floating quality and impart a certain aloofness from worldly affairs, a desire to rise above the trivial. Emphasis on the soaring trunkline and small, open -- rather than lush -- foliage masses portrays a desire to shed the cares of a material world and reach heavenward. The most famous example of this style is another major work by Lu Xuenming, a 57"H Surinam cherry ( Eugenia uniflora ) named "Holding Up the Sky." It has become part of the Weyerhaueser Pacific Rim Collection. 28
The founder and representative artist of this style is the Buddhist monk Su Ren (aka Su Jen or So-yan), from the Haichuang Monastery. Other outstanding followers of the Lingnan School include Messrs. Wu York Yu, Liu Fei Yat, Hung Tai Chor, Mok Man Fu, Luk Hok Ming, Tsui Hung Pui, Chan Kam Tak, Yu Shun Nam, Tang Heung Hoi, Wong Kam, Chan Tak Cheung, Kong Chee, Lee Shu Chik, Cheung Sui To, and Jim Ting Bor. Master Xie Keying, from Guangdong Province, is editor of China Flower & Penjing Magazine and co-author of Zhangjaing Penjing. Master Liu Zhongming is the author of Collector's Rare and Precious Lingnan Penjing, Art in Shaping Lingnan Penjing, and Art and Technique of Lingnan."

Others may be interested - I found this two articles insightful. Grab a coffee or tea though - there's some history here!

http://www.bonsaiinformation.com/Penjing.htm

[melbrackstone]

pen.jpg

Perhaps something like this? http://bit.ly/2NIpvqF

[Ryceman3]

Hi MJL,
I saw your pics and they reminded me of this :
viewtopic.php?f=158&t=22396#p225664
Or maybe this :
viewtopic.php?f=158&t=22397#p225666
These were two trees I gave a bit of “love” to in the most recent Ausbonsai shohin comp. I ended up with more than I bargained for as you can see in these threads so I advise digging around, in and under the soil surface. If you’re gonna trunk chop you might want to get on with it... although I understand that isn’t your first thought. But, in case you change your mind I ended up with 4 trees from the main trunks and about 12 cuttings that have grown on nicely, so not bad for less than $15... I’d chop, you could layer for sure but make sure the layer is worth layering, otherwise you just delay developing the final trunk, cuttings have a good chance of developing if you want to go there.

[MJL]

OK - this is tricky. Thanks everyone.

So many ideas - one tree.

MelB's pic was great for inspiration - that is where my head is at.

Then ... bl@@dy R3 goes an throws spanners in all sorts of works. R3 - those two threads that you provided are fantastic. Thank you. Really helpful and inspirational. For some reason, I did not really understand ground layering and then your thread cleared it up for me. Then there's the trunk chopping and finding secondary roots under the soil surface. Then there's banging out bonsai while watching the cricket Well played!

Anyway - I think I might keep my Chinese Elm and developed some form of Literati and also ... go get some cheap, sh!tty Chinese Elms and go all R3 on 'em.