NewWorldBonsai
Mame
Awesome! With that many good branches that elm will turn into a bonsai so quickly... That's when it really pays to look and look and look then collect the best stuff.
Collecting 2013
- Thread starter travislivid
- Start date
Awesome! With that many good branches that elm will turn into a bonsai so quickly... That's when it really pays to look and look and look then collect the best stuff.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
I love it too...really nice find!
I would have shortened that main root further down to half though. Looks like you can clean the top up a lot too. You want your growth in right places and now is the best time to prune it.
It is hard to remove the nice branches...but look at it as a finished bonsai. Anything outside the 2/3 (or half) of that should be removed to give you room to build the branches and ramification. Else you will be sorry in a few years....when you have to start over.
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travislivid
Mame
I agree. I am planning to shorten the branches a good deal and there is a large limb at the top that has to go. It will still be left with some great branching even after pruning it down to use able material. I just did not want to do the work on this one in the field so I can take my time this weekend. I am taking pictures of the best trees as I go so I can hopefully put these back up in a couple years when I have a progression.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Any update on these? Some of these should be showing some bud activity by now. 
travislivid
Mame
I did wrap up my collecting by the first week of Feb. You were right Dario, the buds were starting to swell so I called it done for the year to be safe. I have had a crazy month as we just sold our house and I have not had a chance to take pictures of the last trees because of making my way through a long list of work on the house.
Sooooooo....... Here it is
Original tree 4-2013
I did the trunk chop on site before digging. I left a leader really long to see if I can get it to grow some taper. It is a bit messy but I really want to see how this one will start to grow.
Sooooooo....... Here it is
Original tree 4-2013
I did the trunk chop on site before digging. I left a leader really long to see if I can get it to grow some taper. It is a bit messy but I really want to see how this one will start to grow.
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travislivid
Mame
Original tree 14-2013
This was one of the ones I really wanted to collect. It is also the one I am most worried about as it had very few roots any where near the base. everything ran through alot of stone that I just could not excavate. I did get a handfull of feeder roots and 2 pencil sized off shoots. Fingers crossed. I cut it pretty heavy up top on site and just want to leave it alone to see if it can recover.
This one was not scouted out originally but I ran across it on a dig. It has a deep rotted center. I am thinking of splitting out the middle and creating an old creepy hollow looking trunk out of it once it takes off for a couple years.
This was one of the ones I really wanted to collect. It is also the one I am most worried about as it had very few roots any where near the base. everything ran through alot of stone that I just could not excavate. I did get a handfull of feeder roots and 2 pencil sized off shoots. Fingers crossed. I cut it pretty heavy up top on site and just want to leave it alone to see if it can recover.
This one was not scouted out originally but I ran across it on a dig. It has a deep rotted center. I am thinking of splitting out the middle and creating an old creepy hollow looking trunk out of it once it takes off for a couple years.
travislivid
Mame
One more update on the first couple trees I collected. They were pretty messy when I took the first pictures. Shortly after I trimmed them up. Here they are today.
Original tree 1-2013
I cut back alot of the branches in closer
Original Tree 3-2013
After a good deal of cleanup.
Original tree 1-2013
I cut back alot of the branches in closer
Original Tree 3-2013
After a good deal of cleanup.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
I am very happy for you. Those are really very nice!
Ross
Shohin
I think those elms have great bark and trunks, and should be fun to work with over the next few years. It's great that you think digging these up is fun, because it's definitely a lot of work, especially if you are by yourself. In my experience, it seems safest for the tree to make the obvious cuts and branch selection when the tree is still in the ground if possible. Once the tree is potted and watered in, using a hand saw or reciprocating saw on the trunk/large branches has the potential to really shake the tree, possibly tearing some of the fine roots you went to so much trouble to preserve, causing the tree to shift position in the soil, and potentially leading to small pockets of space (with no soil) just around the large roots.
daygan
Chumono
I love every one of those trees! I wish you well with developing them!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Wow, these all look great. Good choice for the reductions too.
travislivid
Mame
Thanks all
Yeah the reductions are hard to make but I was able to cut back a bit more with some good prodding thanks to Dario.
Yeah the reductions are hard to make but I was able to cut back a bit more with some good prodding thanks to Dario.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks! Thrust me, it will be worth the pain once you are designing your tree and can use the new growth (and not cut them off).
You really did really well selecting those...good eye!
travislivid
Mame
just an update on the recovery. It looks like 7 out of 8 should make it. Some have growth going crazy and some are cautiously coming out. All in all looks like a success and better then last year. Here are pics of just after collection and after recovery.
Tree 3 after collection
Tree 3 growth
Tree 4 after collection
Tree 4 growth
This one was the last I collected and never pictured before
Tree 3 after collection
Tree 3 growth
Tree 4 after collection
Tree 4 growth
This one was the last I collected and never pictured before
travislivid
Mame
Tree 1 After collection
Tree 1 growth
Tree 14 After collection
Tree 14 growth
Tree 1 growth
Tree 14 After collection
Tree 14 growth
travislivid
Mame
Tree 6 after collection
Tree 6 growth. The upper part of the tree looks dead with no growth so unfortunately i will need to grow a new leader. lots to choose from!
The un-documented one after collection
after growth
Tree 6 growth. The upper part of the tree looks dead with no growth so unfortunately i will need to grow a new leader. lots to choose from!
The un-documented one after collection
after growth
travislivid
Mame
Wa wa wa wahhhhhh
I think this one did not make it despite identical care. Sad. it was one of my favorites and i had some good plans. I am keeping it through the season anyway and will not mess with it too much in hopes it just needs a good long rest. hmmm. the roots were good on collection?
I think this one did not make it despite identical care. Sad. it was one of my favorites and i had some good plans. I am keeping it through the season anyway and will not mess with it too much in hopes it just needs a good long rest. hmmm. the roots were good on collection?
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
DON'T throw it out. It might still come through. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy and give it morning sun. Don't mess around looking at the roots either, as you could knock off developing roots..l
I had a cedar elm leaf out in July after a November collection. I never throw questionable collected material out until after July 4 or so...
I had a cedar elm leaf out in July after a November collection. I never throw questionable collected material out until after July 4 or so...
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Very nice growth. The two that I collected this year are the same and have been pinched a few times actually.
The one that did not grow might still surprise you, hold on to it for now. Good luck with it!
The two that I collected this year are the same and have been pinched a few times actually.The one that did not grow might still surprise you, hold on to it for now. Good luck with it!
Really nice material! Good luck on the one that is hopefully just a bit slow to leaf out.
I have a collected cedar elm myself, and feel that they are some of the best American material that we have. Hopefully more and more people will start using them.
I have a collected cedar elm myself, and feel that they are some of the best American material that we have. Hopefully more and more people will start using them.
