ColinFraser
Masterpiece
Yeah, it's really taken off! I'm just using Osmocote Plus on the surface of all my pots, and I've watered with miracle grow once so far this spring . . . probably time for another round of that now that I think of it.
Seiju Chop
- Thread starter ColinFraser
- Start date
Cmanz
Yamadori
Looks good. Got to love seiju elms. I would leave all growth bellow the chop to help fatten the base up. Look at Brent's trees from evergreen. That's how he grows his massive trunks with taper, along with root escape.
I chopped a small Seiju at the end of last summer just to give people an idea of what these trees can handle.
I chopped a small Seiju at the end of last summer just to give people an idea of what these trees can handle.
erb.75
Chumono
I am thinking it's best to wait for a second chop. The plant is using all its reserves to recover from the first chop and put out new leaves. You probably need to let the leaves soak in the sunshine to restore the plant's stockpile of energy before depleting it again. I repotted in May last Spring with one of my maples, and I'm giving it an entire year (this Spring and Summer) to rest and regain energy. This hobby is such a slow hobby and I want to trunk chop that baby really bad, but know it's better to wait. I dunno how much your elm cost you, but it's a nice plant and you don't want to lose it. I know I paid a pretty penny for my kiyohime and don't want to lose it!
erb.75
Chumono
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
I just downloaded a fun doodling app for my iPad, so I'm playing with this tree:
It's pretty funny trying to essentially fingerpaint it! A far cry from my graphics workstation, but fun and possibly informative nonetheless. I guess this "design" is the logical extension of my front and 2 lowest branches . . .
It's pretty funny trying to essentially fingerpaint it! A far cry from my graphics workstation, but fun and possibly informative nonetheless. I guess this "design" is the logical extension of my front and 2 lowest branches . . .
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
Fair enough. What would you think about doing as @sorce suggested and removing some more of the upper foliage to allow more light to the lower branches?
Anyone else out there have advice?
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
There's two ways to think about it. As it is, that branch is really helping with healing the chop you've already made. However, more light and less to feed up top will obviously help the lower branches develop. If you going with the vert you've made then I would at least clean out some of the foliage above your intended apex branch. But that's just me; maybe others feel differently.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
But the new leader will thicken up faster if you don't fool around with it. If you have it out in full sun the lower branches do just fine.
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
Time for another update.
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
After the last post I trimmed the leader a bit more, but continued to let it grow. Today, I couldn't look at it any longer. The first chop is healing well, and I'm not worried about it closing completely right away. Proportionally, I didn't think that segment should get any thicker.
The branch on the right at the base of the chop got thick really fast, so I cut it back to a pair of shoots to slow it down.
The 1st branch, on the left, I am continuing to let run, to hopefully thicken it and the lower trunk a bit. I have also left a few random shoots as sacrifices down there.
The branch on the right at the base of the chop got thick really fast, so I cut it back to a pair of shoots to slow it down.
The 1st branch, on the left, I am continuing to let run, to hopefully thicken it and the lower trunk a bit. I have also left a few random shoots as sacrifices down there.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Pretty textbook what you've done here Colin, good illustration of chopping and growing a trunk.
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
Thank you. At my level, "textbook" is something to strive for, so I'm glad to hear that
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Holy....sh.
Those branches are from this year?
Whoa.
Sorce
Those branches are from this year?
Whoa.
Sorce
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
Yeah, crazy, right?!
It has been right about 4 months since it was a chopped stump/stick with no leaves or branches at all! I was especially shocked at how fast that second branch grew out and thickened.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Wow.
Sorce
Sorce
JoeR
Masterpiece
And they (the people on my thread) say they dont put on caliper quickly...
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Thank you. At my level, "textbook" is something to strive for, so I'm glad to hear that
Textbook is good. Very good.
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
This one certainly seems fast, but I'm reminding myself that branches are one thing . . . I have another one of these that I didn't chop, and the trunk hasn't noticibly thickened at all in the same time that this one has been showing off. Perhaps they can thicken very quickly up to a certain diameter (an inch or two), and then slow down beyond that . . .?
