Chinese elm winter work

[kez]

Hey folks,

I picked this elm up earlier this year and did a bit of a tidy up, took branches back to 2 etc. and then left it to grow. I never quite looked right and for a time I left it to grow while I worked out what to do.

The issue was a large branch just above the first left branch that went to the back then forked into 2. I decided that this confused the look of the tree so today I took it off and then went and cleaned up some of the growth the tree put on after it's first prune in the hopes of getting some refinement over the next year.

Here's a pic

IMG_2038 (800x533).jpg

I will pot this tree up an in Erin pot I have ordered in early spring.

Cheers,

Kerrin

[Andrew Legg]

Nice tree. I think it has a bright future!

[kcpoole]

I would wire that first branch down so it is the same as the others.
All branches should be similar shape and style leaving the trunk

Ken

[kez]

Cheers guys,

The first branch is acting as a kind of second trunk and the branching will come down off this as it develops, unfortunately there's no bending it down, it's about 1.5cm thick

Kez

[kcpoole]

you could take wedges out of it to get it down if you need / want

Ken

[shibui]

You can shape your bonsai any way you wish Kerryn but I agree with KC. All the trunks heading upwards gets confusing. As well as the first branch/trunk you have another a bit further up the tree that will probably eventually need sorting. I also think I can see 3 (or maybe 4?) branches coming from 1 spot on the trunk where the 2 main upper branches fork. Keeping all those so close together will thicken the trunk at that point and give you an ugly swelling there - I have a few Chinese elms to prove it

[lackhand]

I realize that pictures sometimes lie, but with only one bend followed by a long, straight section with lots of heavy branching coming off to one side, I think I might consider making this a raft. Something like this:

viewtopic.php?f=129&t=8999

Another option would be a layer above the first branch creating two trees, or maybe even a few more layers. All of that said, if you like it and have a vision, then go for it.

[kez]

Thanks to all who posted above,

Well with the arrival of my pots I have started thinking about potting some things up. Neil (Shibui) has been giving some great information about his experiences and I was going to wait with this tree but then I remembered my climate up here is much more forgiving (around 16-18 degrees currently).

This is still an interesting tree for me, it's not straightforward, it's certainly not perfect but with each change I am more and more happy with what it is becoming and what it might grow to be. In keeping with the interesting style of this tree, I have given it an interesting pot. This is my fav pot of my order looks wise, but I also think it is the hardest pot to match to a tree, and I was almost considering just having it as a little piece of art (the glaze is fantastic, kinda makes me want to eat it)

Here's the tree as of today

IMG_2203 (735x1024).jpg

I will open this up for opinions;

what does everyone think of the next step?

what does everything think of the pot?

what does everyone think of the combo and potting angle/placement?

Looking forward to the responses,

Kerrin

[Boics]

Hello Kez.

Right now I think the pot is OK.
With next seasons growth and a bit more green I think it will look even better.
Plant angle looks good.

My 2c.

The bulge 2/3rds of the way up the tree is very jarring and needs addressing.
The branches all look a bit large for the tree size.
Branch ramification appears to start quite far from the trunk which is also a little out of proportion.

If you were to improve on these 3 items and some aforementioned then I'm sure you will be even more pleased with this tree!

Keep up the good work and posting!

[JaseH]

Hi Kez, first a disclaimer - I'm new to bonsai so take my advice with that in mind! I'll have a crack at critiquing your tree anyhow!

One thing that sticks out for me is the first branch, I see a couple of problems. Firstly the trunk exit angle is too high - I feel it should be brought down to exit the trunk at the same angle as the other branches. The other issue I see is that your tree, as it is currently styled, has right movement. If you follow the 'guidelines', they suggest that branches should be slightly longer on the right side compared to the left. At the moment there appears to be too much long branching on the left side and not enough branching on the right to balance the movement.

Unfortunately, I am not experienced enough yet to suggest the best way forward for your tree but hopefully these observations might help you in some way?

*edit* - sorry I just read the earlier posts addressing the first branch angle! You can safely ignore my comments then.

[Andrew Legg]

Ho hum . . . ho hum. . . . this tree intrigues me. There's something I like about it and there's something wrong too, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Can we get a better pic of what's happening about 2/3s of the way up the trunk?

[kez]

Just thought I'd post a spring update

IMG_2598 (1024x683).jpg

Cheers,

Kerrin

[Rory]

It is an improvement. For my that forked branch going up near the middle and the left of the trunk is too thick. The first branch up the trunk also needs to eventually come down more, as when looking at trees in nature, first is generally lower and as you move up the trunk the branches are ever so slightly higher in angle etc. I would be concerned that you might get bulging in the upper middle due to the mass of branches coming out from the same point, but its hard to see from that angle what is happening there. You might also want to consider trying to get a branch on the right of that picture above the first branch to try and balance it.

But otherwise, this has the potential to be a great tree in time.

[kez]

With this tree pretty much dormant I decided I would make some changes and tackle the issues I have with it

These are:

the first branch at it's current angle and it's bulk

The majority of branching all coming off the left hand side

The bulge and multiple branching originating from the one location 2/3rds up

The overall lack of meaningful direction/movement


As I move through my journey I am realising more and more that much as I wish it wasn't the case, problems will always be problems. I think initially I viewed some of my trees through rose coloured glasses and as such I am now the owner of a few trees that I now see as sore thumbs.

I hope that I may be able to correct some of these and turn them into decent trees, but some I may need to abandon, this however is all part of the process and I am thankful of these lessons

Anyway, here's an update on this tree and it's new direction

IMG_3383 (1024x683).jpg

The good,

This tree now has a much better sense of direction, and actually has some great trunk movement, and I think it is nice and natural and should move forward well from here. The issues with the first branch and the upper bulge/confusion are also addressed.

The bad,

I really need some back branches, I have left a short stub and I hope it will shoot back from here, but I can only hope and

[Elmar]

G'day Kerrin,
Would this one benefit from a brief stint in the ground? Plant it on a CD to keep the original planter depth but give it the benefit of gaining strength form being in the ground...?


Cheers
Elmar