AusBonsai

Hi Everyone.

On the weekend i went out to find some yamadori for the shohin competition. Instead i found this elm which is too big but an interesting find regardless.
This tree was found in a horse paddock where a combination of livestock, damp conditions and termites have lead to heaps of small gnarled and rotted trunks with heaps of potential for bonsai
After checking 3 or 4 interesting specimens i decided to dig this one as i didn't have alot of time to choose.
The recent rain in Canberra region made the digging really easy so in under an hour it was out of the ground. I was very happy with the amount of feeder roots visable (although these all turned out to be grass roots )
Took it back to the in-laws to bare root(a major dis-advantage of living in a second floor apartment) There wasn't nearly as many feeder roots as i would have like, but there should be enough for it to survive.
I trimmed the long shoots and potted into a 55L storage tub ($12 at the Big B) in 1 part Diatomite/1 part Perlite/1 sieved potting mix
Id love to know how you guys/girls think i style this one (vert would be nice )

What a score! It is beautiful just the way it is. Just needs ramification for the top I think. I did drop my jaws!

Bloody nice find that is

Once it pops out in new growth all you need to do is then build the branching
Will be a lovely tree. Does the rot go all the way thru the base? or is that a water trap?


Ken

its a water trap. ive droppped a few handfulls of diatomite in the trunk to help dry the saturated wood for now, but i will need to drill a hole somwhere discrete to stop the water pooling and stop the rot in the long term

here are a few examples of the gnarly deadwood and rotten truck that seem to be everywhere in this paddock. i will definatly be going back to collect more trees when i have the room at home.

so a few weekends ago i went back out and collected another 2 elms: one which i had prepared a few years ago by severing all the major roots, the other which i found on the day, under a thick mat of dead grass and rotting leaves by tracing a 4 meter, dead, prostrate trunk back to its base. i'd been waiting years to dig this guy up!!! Even after visiting this spot numerous times in the last few years looking extensively for the best material(this grove is tiny! less then 1/4 acre) i still had no idea this tree was there due to the large mat of grass concealing its base. I only found by letting curiosity get the better of me! It took most of my Sunday, but got them potted up into 50L tubs. I have a good feeling about these two as i am yet to loose a yamadori elm yet!!! (not that ive done many!!!)

Also repotted this guy on the weekend trimmed some of the deeper, thicker roots so it could fit in a slightly shallower container and used the toothpick technique to get some roots growing in more appropriate places. Also drilled a hole in the base to stop water pooling and slow the rot of the deadwood Now to wait another season or two before going in a smaller pot and begin branch selection/training!

A very nice selection of collected material and will make admirable Bonsai in a short period

The last one looks great.

Great idea with the plastic tub. I was thinking I would need to build a box for a couple of trees in my yard that I have been eyeing off.

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Thanks Shinkitai,
the cheap plastic tubs work okay, but they will breakdown over time. the tree which was recently re-potted was in the plastic tub for 2 years and it could barely be moved without the tub falling to pieces. It might be worth buying tubs which are UV resistant (although i'm not sure how expensive they will be, if they exist at all!!!)

i make wooden grow boxes my sisters hubby has had olives in a few for over 10yrs an they are still here is a grow box i made for my big olive cost less then $20 this one is 80cmX60cmX15cm ive got a few now in these things . The good thing is you make to the size you need