AusBonsai

and here is the las one i chose, a smaller corky bark elm. it looks a little stiff at the moment but i think it will soften up eventually.
raw rough and ready. but the branch structure is quite good on it, i will be chopping him down to a smaller image eventually, the nebari spreads out quite well on nearly all of it, there is just one bigger crossing root that im not happy with, but it can be rectified!

i wont say to much for this one, will let you guys decide on what ya think of it.

Much as I hate to say it, I think the tree has to be chopped to leave the first branch. The bottom has nice movement, the next section is very straight and does not please the eye. I would chop just above the first branch and wire that branch as the new leader and mimic the movement in the base. Elms are robust and good growers and in a couple of years you should have a nice tree. Another option would be to cut midway up the straight stretch. Use the bottom branch for the bottom branch and wait for a new shoot to develop on the straight bit to train for the upper structure. A short straight bit will change as the tree barks up and branches develop.

hey mel! thanks for the advice, i know this one needs alot of work on it, i didnt get it for instant bonsai, i wanted to develop this one over time
the option you are talking about is a viable option, i was thinking of letting it grow out some more to try get some thickness on the trunk, it is only about an inch thick, so not to big size wise.
thanks for the reply mate!

will keep ya all posted

and again, i was looking at this one today too, i have decided along the same lines as the trident that i have, i will be airlayering the top off and wiring a new leader as mel's advice stated. i was looking at it and there is 3 shoots coming of that spot, one will become the new leader one will become the new first branch and the other will probly not be used but i might keep it just to keep energy flowing to the top after i cut of the air layer. i have put a pic in of where i will be airlayer. i just dont have the heart to just chop it off and was all the potential there. thats just me thow i hate waste

any advice is always appreciated

regards jamie


edit- i forgot to put the pic up

SUCCESS!!!! well so far anyways, the airlayer on this one has struck roots, and not just white ones, brown ones with white ones shooting off them
this has gone a lot better than i first expected, since i forst done it early october to now, which is about 5 weeks i have a reasonable amount of roots i plan on leaving this one on a bit longer to get a bigger root system to support the tree

quick question- i know this may be a bit controversial to some people, but now this one has brown roots, would it be ok to feed it a quarter stregth fertiliser to start feeding the upper part of the tree while it is still attached?


jamie

A dilute feed to the layer might be a good idea, particularly if the parent roots are being left without feed at the moment. If its in peat, there is some degradation of that into nutrients.

thanks don i was thinking a diluted feed of seasol wouldnt be a bad idea, as for the medium it is in it is sphagnum, so i dont think that degrades into any sort of nutrient???

i will get some pics of it over the weekend to show every one how it is going

jamie