My largest elm.

[M. Frary]

I dug this up last spring. It is the fattest one I own. Probably 5 plus inches at the roots. It had the same treatment as all of the rest. The most amazing about this tree is it is only around 6 years old. They all of a sudden are there. 10 foot tall.
If you can't tell elms are by far and away my favorite decidious trees.

 

[Giga]

Elms are great for that, I have an American elm in the ground that grows 18' leaders in one year! My only critique is it looks like it could use a larger colander and ur wire needs a little bit of work. Also that new leader, are u gonna cut a 45 degree cut to it to help heal and the transition?

 

[M. Frary]

Once the new lead is big I'll cut it at an angle. Next spring most likely.
The collander is quite sufficient in size. It was in it all last summer. Have you not seen that clump I collected that almost fills one of these collanders.
As for the wire there isn't a thing wrong with it. The wire is only going to be on here for 3 weeks give or take a day. I don't wire trees so the wire looks good on them.I wire trees to set my branches where I want them.

 

[Smoke]

Once the new lead is big I'll cut it at an angle. Next spring most likely.
The collander is quite sufficient in size. It was in it all last summer. Have you not seen that clump I collected that almost fills one of these collanders.
As for the wire there isn't a thing wrong with it. The wire is only going to be on here for 3 weeks give or take a day. I don't wire trees so the wire looks good on them.I wire trees to set my branches where I want them.

I like your style. Train that bitch, its not like your puttin it in Kokufu next month.

 

[M. Frary]

I like your style. Train that bitch, its not like your puttin it in Kokufu next month.

Thank you. Standards would need to be lowered way down for this thing to be considered! Showstopper status it will never have but It won't be all that bad either.
And once those branches are thick enough they get cut way back anyway to build taper. The wire is only there to put movement into the first inch or so anyways. I'll be rewiring them again this year after they grow out again. I have to stay on these trees because they grow so fast. If I dont I'm cutting the whole branch off and starting a new one again. Not a real big deal but it does set me back some.

 

[Smoke]

There is some disservice to the bonsai hobbiest community with all the people from Japan coming back and trying to have people try and adhere to a set of standards that are quite frankly a waste of time and wire. If somebody tells me to take it off and do it again they better be buying the wire, otherwise keep your opinions to yourself. Of course there are those that pay to have someone tell them to take it off and do it again. I don't get that.....at all.

 

[M. Frary]

they better be buying the wire

And maybe the tree if they tell me I have to unwind it.

Of course they are those that pay to have someone tell them to take it off and do it again. I don't get that.....at all.

Me neither. But boy after a few years of that their wiring is top notch.

 

[sorce]

they better be buying the wire,

Lol. New quote there!

Showstopper status it will never have

I completely disagree .

This has the goods. Just add time and water! Oh. And that other guys wire, trim it some, yada yada!

This one is sick!

Sorce

 

[Giga]

I don't see what the harm in pushing yourself to the next lvl. I understand that it's not going into a show as none of my trees are at the level yet either, and I have to disagree with you on this being a show quality tree. I think you should push yourself, to think of wanting to put this in a show , whether it ever enters one or not. I did not mean to offend you and I c smoke jumped on that but it was just a constructive critique. Each his own though, it is nice material.

 

[sorce]

Don't mean to be mean to your means to an end but that means more mean wiring meant to mean your meaner at its mean meanest.

I mean....

Absolutely nothing!

Sorce

 

[Giga]

Don't mean to be mean to your means to an end but that means more mean wiring meant to mean your meaner at its mean meanest.

I mean....

Absolutely nothing!

Sorce

Lol

 

[M. Frary]

Thank you guys on the nice comments on my tree. But come on! I dug this tree up last spring the same day as that other large one. I never posted it until yesterday because I figured it would get hammered.
As for the whole being mean. Sorry.
That is the way I apply wire to these trees. I learned last year to not make it look good but to do the job I wanted it to do. I've killed and scarred branches by putting it on perfect and not taking it off in time. This way gives me a little lee way. Soon enough I won't need the wire at all. At that point it's just clip and grow for the most part.
Like Smoke said, I'm training that bitch!
Apparently for a show. Now my head is starting to swell. And it's already too fat!

 

[Smoke]

Me neither. But boy after a few years of that their wiring is top notch.

There will always be a time and place to do show quality wire on a tree. Doing it on this tree right now is a waste of time and you have said as much. I agree. Who cares if the wires cross. There is always going to be someone thats gonna tell you it causes pressure points and you will lose a branch, its unsightly, and it is a lazy way to do bonsai. There is a time and place for everything we do. I don't waste a lot of time doing fine wire to a tree that I will take off in a few months because its gonna cut in, or I will cut back to an inch like you will do. Hell if I'm going to cut it back I may not even wire the whole branch, I will just guide that first inch or so.

 

[Cypress187]

Lol, i asked in another thread if a elm counts as a tree or a shrub

 

[M. Frary]

When a shrub is in a bonsai pot we call it a tree. But elms are trees. Large ones at times. Junipers,Azaleas,Boxwoods and the like are shrubs.
So just remember no matter what it was before being put in a pot it's a tree image now. That is why we call them trees.

 

[Cypress187]

So i basicly insulted some of my bonsai

 

[M. Frary]

But not so much that they can't be worked on still. They take verbal insults well. Almost like they can't hear you.

 

[BobbyLane]

I think it has some potential as a twin trunk or mother daughter type image. how tall do you intend to have it? i think although the main trunk has nice bark character, its a little long and straight (i would reduce it) and then the other two trunks both have smooth un-interesting bark, but could be made nicer and more interesting by carving hollows/uro into them, as the middle trunk is dead anyway? a uro in each of the three trunks would look good if done right and with variation...when i saw the tree it made me think of something Graham potter did with similar material... if was mine, i'd be eager to carve that baby up, but thats just me

 

[j evans]

It's your tree, do it the way you want and the way you enjoy doing it. Sometimes you need the input, sometimes you don't and sometimes you just read it and go ? Ok but that's not my style

 

[Zac chandanais]

That's going to make an awesome freaking tree! I wish I could find things like this! (Sigh)...

Zac