Chinese Elm: from Mallsai to Bonsai

[akhater]

Oh Brian I didn't think of this ! You are perfectly right and thanks for pointing that out

I use expanded clay with about 40% of rough peat nothing more.

I usually use moss for my layer but since this is ground layer instead of air layer I simply didn't think of the whole concept.

I think I'll dig it out again tomorrow and plant it in perlite instead how does that sound ?

 

[akhater]

here it is today budding like crazy

 

[akhater]

2 months later

 

[daygan]

Looks like it's growing well. Did you plant it in perlite or just keep your original substrate?

 

[akhater]

it is planted in 70% expanded clay balls and 30% of sieved peat moss with a mulch of pine bark, i'm working on the nebari burried deep down, hope it will develop new roots

 

[akhater]

I repotted this year also, it had grew around the metal ring I had put last year and no new roots. So I went a bit more drastic this time.

I cut a lot of big roots and put it in a shallower pot and it looks like it coped well with this operation so far.

My main issue is that it has one side with no roots at all, how can i push it to promote roots on that side next year ?

Nothing much different from the day I got it but here is the pic

thanks

 

[Paulpash]

So just to be clear... You used the wire tourniquet method to ground layer but only part of the new nebari formed? If I'm understanding this correctly then you could attempt to cut out windows of bark where you want new roots to form, dust with rooting hormone and pack the area with sphagnum moss. Chinese elm and elms in general root very easily. I would have ring barked it

 

[akhater]

Hello Marie

Yes I tried to ground layer it and used a wire tourniquet but the tree grew on the wire it formed no roots at all where I wanted it to.

The tree has roots from one side only from the day I got it. on this repot I did root selection and cut the big ones etc...

What do you mean by ring barked it please?

 

[akhater]

A quick update on my tree

June 10th before and after



Today before and after

 

[JudyB]

Pictures are not showing up, and when I click on the link, it comes up as invalid...

 

[akhater]

Thanks Judy, I have updated the thread

June 10th before and after




Today before and after

 

[nairb]

hi Akhater,

I just discovered your posts on this topic, thanks for posting your progress photos it is really interesting! I also bought a mallsai, it looks almost exactly the same as yours (when you bought it). All I've done with mine so far is remove some branches that were crossing each other, and some trimming/pinching to encourage some backbudding (which it did vigorously!). I need to observe it a bit more to figure out what do with it, I must post some pictures!
thanks
Brian