Elm - Ulmus Hollandica Jacqueline Hillier

[zero]

Whoa- Hey that’s so cool- I’m in Carytown. Maybe you can help me understand what we have at our disposal as Bonsai enthusiasts in Richmond. I moved here from Chapel Hill NC a couple years ago and would love any info regarding the places you like to go/clubs or anything. I go to Sneeds Nursery but that’s about the extent of what I’m familiar with. Also Sneeds got in two different Metasequoia today they shared w me- just thought you might want to know!

 

[cbroad]

I worked at the Great Big Greenhouse for 13 years (about 2 miles south of Sneeds on Huguenot). All of the retail nurseries around here carry similar stuff, though GBGH will have a better selection than Sneeds or Strange's as far as bonsai material goes. Their outdoor bonsai stuff will only be starters, but they do carry further along tropical material, nothing show quality though.

For more selection and further along stuff, you'll have to go to northern Virginia and Maryland. 95% of our local nurseries get their stock from a place called Meehan's Miniatures, right across the VA border in Maryland. I highly recommend checking them out.

The Richmond Bonsai Society is a good group, check them out. They have free shows and demos multiple times a year at GBGH, they actually should be having one very soon, unless it's already happened...

 

[zero]

Oh very cool- I’ll definitely check out GBGH this weekend! Sounds fun! Thanks- I’ll check out Richmond Bonsai Society as well. They’re on Facebook which is sad as I’m not a fan, but it could be fun to be better educated with local minds for sure. Thanks again!

 

[Graft]

I should focus on the basics.

Me too! Newbies unite!

 

[zero]

I wanted to update this thread with my tree and a few thoughts I’ve been having about it. Here is the tree as it stands.

I had imagined this as the front as in my naivety I just instinctively admired the sort of natural look of the multiple points on the dividing trunk lines and the one strong surface root facing towards the viewer but not straight on. So I am imagining and visualizing what height and proportion I want the tree to be, and looking and turning it around and I started seeing this line that would hide a good amount of scars from reduction and provide a nice line, but it puts my value of the trunk line in question and drastically reduces the overall branches. I imagine and have mentioned I’d start air layering off suggested and even more branches, and this is the idea I had.

Choosing this as the new front,

This view may be creating a sight of inverse taper and so I’ll ask for some feedback about what you all see, but if I cut branches here I think it creates solid motion and taper towards the viewer while moving laterally, while saving a view from many unsightly scars as well although there may be the one near the apex. What do y’all think? Clearly it would be a drastic reduction but I think it’d give the tree a bit of that Elm informal upright kind of taper and movement. There’s always cutting it back to a stump and growing smaller branches and a very short tree, but I was kind of trying to envision what I could do with it preserving as much of the height it currently has, maximizing the taper it has. I can’t seem to envision a way that I utilize the current branching and multiple trunk sort of thing happening with losing all the taper in the tree. Any and all comments and suggestions will be considered and I appreciate your looking at this.

 

[Graft]

I like the line you have chosen. A lot of JH Elms end up as dome tops, which is fine there is nothing wrong with that. But it will be nice to see how your tree progresses as an informal upright. Great stock to work with. Mine is about 5 years behind yours!

 

[penumbra]

A few times while pruning my JH elm, I put the pruned branches in a raised bed with my herbs not 10 feet from the bench with my JH elm. I now have 4 of them. I think these rooted in spite of me because no serious attempt was made.

 

[LanceMac10]

Any updates, @zero ?

 

[zero]

Any updates, @zero ?

Unfortunately I missed this somehow- but I’ve totally chickened out on cutting it back this past spring and have just let it grow-

it’s still alive! lol
I’ll certainly update again this next spring as I plan on air layering off the decent branches since ultimately I suppose I should take my time and get the most out of my tree. If I air layer the branches, I’ll have like possibly 3-4 new trees after the layering, so why not?
If anything I maybe did the tree a disservice by just letting it grow without cutting the branches back after the spring growth, but I’m new at all of this and imagine with a tree like a small elm I’m probably not causing so much issue. *crosses fingers*

 

[brentwood]

Just to give you some perspective, one of my first trees was a JH.. I hard chopped it the first year, am now ready to cut it back again come spring.. good luck with yours!
Brent

 

[zero]

Just to give you some perspective, one of my first trees was a JH.. I hard chopped it the first year, am now ready to cut it back again come spring.. good luck with yours!
Brent

This is a years growth or how many Brent? Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[brentwood]

That's maybe two years - here it is almost exactly one year out. Not suggesting you go this hard on yours, but more to show how they bounce back... I thought it was a Chinese elm for a year, learning more every season
Brent

 

[Crazy Diamond]

That cultivar have amazing potential as bonsai!

 

[zero]

That's maybe two years - here it is almost exactly one year out. Not suggesting you go this hard on yours, but more to show how they bounce back... I thought it was a Chinese elm for a year, learning more every season
Brent

Your backyard- I’m drooling reminds me of Chapel Hill NC

 

[brentwood]

Your backyard- I’m drooling reminds me of Chapel Hill NC

Thanks, man - that's why we ended up here, drove by and fell in love with the area. My only complaint is it's shady - I'm a juniper fan, and I'm always chasing sunlight. Learning to love Japanese maple, azalea, elms, etc.

B

 

[zero]

Thanks, man - that's why we ended up here, drove by and fell in love with the area. My only complaint is it's shady - I'm a juniper fan, and I'm always chasing sunlight. Learning to love Japanese maple, azalea, elms, etc.

Thanks, man - that's why we ended up here, drove by and fell in love with the area. My only complaint is it's shady - I'm a juniper fan, and I'm always chasing sunlight. Learning to love Japanese maple, azalea, elms, etc.

B

You in Ohio?