Shohin Size Zelcova

[Mellow Mullet]

Yeah, I know, another repot. It needed it so I did it. As you can see, it had filled the pot with roots. I put it in a little deeper pot so it had a little growing room. It needs a some more filling in, but I think it is on its way to be a really nice tree. What do you think?

John

 

[Redwood Ryan]

It definitely has a lot of potential. That long straight section distracts me quite a bit, though.

 

[Adair M]

I think you're letting the roots grow the wrong direction.

You want zelkova to be in a shallow pot, not deep pot. Go shallow and wide rather than deep and narrow.

 

[aframe]

Great little tree, have you been repotting every year?

 

[sorce]

I think it's just delightful!

The straight of that section doesn't bother me as much as it's lack of taper, I think you can whack it down a little.

And in that pot Adair recommended, your already nice base will get even better!

Love it as it is too Though!

Sorce

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Aframe,
I repot every other year usually, sometimes every year, depends on how much time I have. I usually prioritize the trees by how bad they need it.

Ryan and Sorce,

I don't like the lach of taper much either and almost made a mame out of it. I hope to cover it with leaves, lol. After I get the base squared away, I may do something about it.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Adair,

it is actually planted on a tile, I put it in a deeper pot this year because it really struggled last year in the summer heat. I work 12 hour shifts with a long commute and so watering more than once a day was not an option. I have a nice shallow oval that it will eventually end up in.

John

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Update and a Question:

My little Zelcova has finally lost all of it's leaves so I decided to take a look at it today and maybe do some trimming and a little wiring. I was looking at the top and wondering if I should shorten it. Here is what I have now:



This is what I am thinking about doing:



Hopefully, it will fill back in like this:



What do you think? Oh, here is one for size reference:

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I don't have many pots, but after rummaging through the ones that I have, I pick out three. Which do you think would work best for this tree?





Here is one for size reference:

 

[BonsaiButler]

I wouldn't chop it. The straight section is quite short anyway and doesn't bother me at all.
Very nice little tree!

 

[BonsaiButler]

bottom picture far left. The brown one

 

[Vin]

I like it and your plan for it.

 

[Adair M]

I like the brown oval, too, for its shape. The color not so much.

If you repot, use a higher percentage of akadama or even straight akadama if you need a more water retentive soil. You can also put a thin layer of New Zealand spaghnum moss on the top of the pot.

 

[Adair M]

Now is the time to cut those branches back.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I like it and your plan for it.

Thanks, Vin.

I like the brown oval, too, for its shape. The color not so much.

If you repot, use a higher percentage of akadama or even straight akadama if you need a more water retentive soil. You can also put a thin layer of New Zealand spaghnum moss on the top of the pot.

I was leaning toward the oval, too. I have a smaller one that I like the glaze on, but I know it want fit. I hope it will fit in this one, I planted it on a tile in it's current pot to try to make the roots shallower.

Now is the time to cut those branches back.

That is my plan for tonight or tomorrow. What do you think about the top?

John

 

[Adair M]

I'm sure you could make the roots shallower.

Just do you know, the tile planting thing is done on stuff you are planting in the ground, and left for several years. Even then, it's not all that helpful.

A far better technique is planting on a board.

What's the difference? Well, you can screw the bottom of the trunk down onto the board. Yes, to be able to go that, you have to get the bottom of the trunk flat. As if it were an air layer.

So, next time, bare root it. We don't want to see the roots you cut off, the ones left on are more important. You want to develop your roots to look some thing like this:



Oh... the reason the tile doesn't work as well? The roots can push the tree up. They can't if the trunk is screwed to a board.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Yeah, that is what I am shooting for. And, I just generically used "tile" to save some time typing (not the best at it). I actually use those cheap white "plastic" cutting boards, the last ones I got were from Ikea, three for a couple of bucks. I cut them to size, drill a hole in the middle, and screw the tree to it. I then drill holes where I want to put the roots and use wire to hold them in place. Seems to work pretty good, and they are reusable.

John

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

It's to early in the development to put it in a small pot. Fix the flaws and make it a nicer tree, when nearly finished, select a good pot.

 

[sorce]

That wound healed?

If so, I'd almost be inclined to chop it down like that bitchin azalea!

Or, in the pics up top, there's a point in your second segment where it looks like a branch is coming out, but is from another branch. Last March 3rd pic. I'd be crossing finger to get a bud right there, looks to be a node there too. That would get you into righteous proportion IMO.
For your next segment.

No on the mountain pot, no on the blue, and though it is best, I can not say I like brown pot. Its sacrilegious.

Sorce

 

[Mellow Mullet]

The wound is mostly healed, just a sliver left, should completely close next season.

Just curious, what is sacrilegious about the brown pot?