Another cork elm project

[ianb]

I didn't say the BIGGEST knob... just the big knob

Hey are you going to the Bonsai-a-thon?

Hey I resemble that remark.

Most likely will head up, maybe we can carpool? I'm toying with the idea of going to Shohin too, maybe for a day or even staying overnight Saturday.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Wow you and Mike with the whole Shohin thing... it is tempting... let me think about it.

I am definitely game for the bonsai-a-thon car pool. I'm sure we can fill up an SUV....

 

[ianb]

Wow you and Mike with the whole Shohin thing... it is tempting... let me think about it.

I am definitely game for the bonsai-a-thon car pool. I'm sure we can fill up an SUV....

Well you know us small guys like the small trees

 

[Bonsai Nut]

We still need to get together in January... we only have the 24th or the 31st...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

How close are you to ONT? I have to fly in next week for a quick trip to Fort Irwin.

Me personally? Or San Gabriel nursery? I'm about an hour from ONT...

Good time of the year to be hitting Ft. Irwin. I wouldn't want to go there in the summer...

Do you want to hit up some nurseries?

 

[ColinFraser]

probably hasn't been repotted in 10 years, if ever.

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to digging into mine either . . .

 

[Bunjeh]

Me personally? Or San Gabriel nursery? I'm about an hour from ONT...

Good time of the year to be hitting Ft. Irwin. I wouldn't want to go there in the summer...

Do you want to hit up some nurseries?

Would love to if you have some advice. Don't know how much time I will have though,..

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Would love to if you have some advice. Don't know how much time I will have though,..

Problem is, from ONT to Ft Irwin you are going to head more or less straight north into the high desert by Victorville. Bring some shovels and dig up some California junipers, LOL, because you will be driving through some prime territory! However as far as LA nurseries go, most are going to be pretty far west of you, depending on traffic. 40 or 50 miles...

[EDIT] Actually, I just checked and the closest of the large nurseries would be San Gabriel. It is only 32.4 miles from the airport - straight West on the 10 freeway - so that might be convenient. Some of the other nurseries (Chikugo-En, House of Bonsai, Kimura) would be twice as far.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

@Bonsai Nut , I'm finally getting into the thick bark elm game. Seems reverse taper happens easily. Is that right? I found winged bark elm, and I plan to collect some. The trunk may be 1.5 inches, but the bark could be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. I think because the bark is so corky that it makes the base look puny. It's like I have to make the elm compensate by growing a fatter base. What I've observed so far is that they only have bark on the trunk, but will the surface roots bark up? Can they catch up if they do grow bark from exposure above ground?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

@Bonsai Nut , I'm finally getting into the thick bark elm game. Seems reverse taper happens easily. Is that right? I found winged bark elm, and I plan to collect some. The trunk may be 1.5 inches, but the bark could be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. I think because the bark is so corky that it makes the base look puny. It's like I have to make the elm compensate by growing a fatter base. What I've observed so far is that they only have bark on the trunk, but will the surface roots bark up? Can they catch up if they do grow bark from exposure above ground?

The key to avoiding reverse taper is to not let the branches get too big, and to not let too many branches emerge from a single spot on the trunk (which is good design advice, regardless). You can also judiciously remove upper sections of corking bark, and reduce the trunk diameter by 1/2 inch or more without doing any cutting whatsoever. In the case of this stump, I am fortunate because no one trimmed at, so there is a lot of low growth and quite substantial flare at the soil line. However there are a few sections where multiple branches emerged from a single point (probably due to an old severe pruning) and no one reduced the branch number, so you get a "knob" of swelling growth. That will have to be removed, or designed around. It is very difficult to completely remove old knobs.

The other technique to use is a low ground layer - as low as you can get on the trunk. Not only will the trunk swell, but there is a chance you can get new growth low on the trunk which can help assist you in developing taper. But the truth is - no matter what you do - these trunks will always be "chunky" which is part of their charm. Embrace the chunk! LOL! Design for it

As far as the surface roots go, they will scale up, but I haven't seen any "cork" the way the trunks do.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

To chunkiness!