Chinese Elm Development

[BobbyLane]

Over 3 years years, a short progression in photos

This started out as small broom type elm, i decided to put it in the ground to bulk out a bit

after a year in the ground, it looked like this, this image is from march 2017, i dug it up to have a look and do some cut backs
20170331_123232 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20170331_124735 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


everything was basically cut back for taper
20170331_124759 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20170331_124829 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


then it went back in the ground

one of the leaders began to really take off, so i decided to develop something informal with it and cut off the other bits
2018-12-23_03-43-36 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

today i had another good look, as its been struggling, i thought it was maybe scale damage as all the leaves had browned and fallen off. but i now see that it is drought. its been very dry and the soil around the tree was bone dry, the tile it was on wasnt buried deep enough. the trunk has grown though and now starting to see some taper, i did some more cut backs
20190606_160423 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

its been moved to another area that wont dry out as quickly, it should thrive here and i can watch it closer.
packed in with old bonsai soil and spag moss, covered up with weed matting.

i thought about putting it in a pot, but ideally i would like to see more bulk in the trunk, it will start back budding in a few days, although the tree had gotten too dry, the branches were mostly green and bendy
20190606_161007 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
2019-06-06_04-35-31 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[Bolero]

My Chinese Elm has been overwatered and some leaves have turned brown and are falling off, its a 7 year old Shohin….can I repot it to save the root system or should I just leave it alone to eventually dry out...the pot is 2" deep...

 

[BobbyLane]

My Chinese Elm has been overwatered and some leaves have turned brown and are falling off, its a 7 year old Shohin….can I repot it to save the root system or should I just leave it alone to eventually dry out...the pot is 2" deep...

Hi, usually when a tree is overwatered the leaves turn yellow in my experience and maybe brown if not watered enough or burnt by sun.
its hard to answer because ive never seen the roots of your tree.
slip potting should be fine if the tree is healthy of course.

i dug this one out of a bed in june a few days after and stuck it in a pot, cut it right back.its going to be fine

 

[BobbyLane]

this one will be fine too

 

[AnutterBonsai]

hi bobby. this is a great thread. how's your tree doing?

 

[memehongkong]

this one will be fine too

Great post. Do you put the tarp to control the root development in the ground?