Ten Months of a Cork Bark Elm

[Smoke]

I dug this elm in February of this year while digging the tridents. This is the progression of the last ten months.

The tree is 3.5 inches across the base and 18 inches tall.

 

[Smoke]

Continual pruning and wiring thru the year to get the branches where I want them. Tree shoots out all over. Constant rubbing off of new branches.

 

[Smoke]

This is what it looks like today after pruning and unwiring and re wiring again, hopefully for the last time this year.

 

[JudyB]

Looks pretty fun, although I would've expected even more growth in your climax in one year. Did you do lots of root work, or are corks slower?

 

[Smoke]

Looks pretty fun, although I would've expected even more growth in your climax in one year. Did you do lots of root work, or are corks slower?

You know alot of the girls say that. With my climax I don't need that much growth.

seriously though, it is slower than a regular elm. I suspect this year will be much heavier since it will not have to spend half it's year adjusting to having no branches and nearly all its roots removed while being freshly dug up.

 

[Poink88]

If this is mine, I will chop it a bit lower and reposition the top left branch as new leader.
View attachment 43764

 

[Poink88]

Poink,
Some like them short and fat, while others like them long and slender. It's a matter of taste. Depends on what kind of pot your going to put them in I think.

I know but all I see above is trouble. Reverse taper, ugly chop, and too many branches originating from same spot that will make it worse. It is Smokes tree, he can do what he wants...I just shared my thoughts, which means nothing anyway...esp to Smoke.

 

[berobinson82]

nice pine

back to hiding

 

[JudyB]

You know alot of the girls say that. With my climax I don't need that much growth.

seriously though, it is slower than a regular elm. I suspect this year will be much heavier since it will not have to spend half it's year adjusting to having no branches and nearly all its roots removed while being freshly dug up.

Wow, I usually check before I hit submit... Wonder what word climax was spell check of? Oh, yeah, it was climate! Climax is funnier anyhow...
Will watch to see how this tree goes.

 

[Smoke]

nice pine

back to hiding

There is a good discussion in there I think. I have thought about this many times myself, while using those exact words. In the case of this tree, and many of the tridents recently dug, the grower has built upright trunks with massive taper, leaving nothing to do but make a classical shaped pine tree shaped tree.

It will be up to me to take some of that feeling away as it grows out.

 

[edprocoat]

Wow, I usually check before I hit submit... Wonder what word climax was spell check of? Oh, yeah, it was climate! Climax is funnier anyhow...
Will watch to see how this tree goes.

It's definitely more provocative.

ed

 

[berobinson82]

There is a good discussion in there I think. I have thought about this many times myself, while using those exact words. In the case of this tree, and many of the tridents recently dug, the grower has built upright trunks with massive taper, leaving nothing to do but make a classical shaped pine tree shaped tree.

It will be up to me to take some of that feeling away as it grows out.

My apologies. I don't even recall typing that... Pardon my tone.

I can actually appreciate the classic shapes of deciduous trees as well as more naturalistic styles. It's interesting to me that some of the more outspoken professionals profess to have natural styling yet often find themselves Working on these uPright trunks and they end up very triangular...

I like the elm. I'm following this particular thread with great interest as I develop similar materials.

Cheers.
B

 

[Nybonsai12]

Great looking tree. Thanks for sharing the progression. Looking forward to seeing it next season as well.

I can't get over that bark. The only thing rougher than that bark is the TP in my office.

 

[Smoke]

My apologies. I don't even recall typing that... Pardon my tone.

I can actually appreciate the classic shapes of deciduous trees as well as more naturalistic styles. It's interesting to me that some of the more outspoken professionals profess to have natural styling yet often find themselves Working on these uPright trunks and they end up very triangular...

I like the elm. I'm following this particular thread with great interest as I develop similar materials.

Cheers.
B

No need to apoligise. That is a very astute observation. No elm tree should be styled like this. They deserve to be styled like an elm tree should. Tall globular shaped more like a meadow tree or a tree one might find at a park in the city. Upswept branches supporting a rounded canopy.

To style a elm with a long tapering trunk with lateral branches is not the way an elm tree grows.

While this tree by Jim Gremel is nice it is not the way should grow a maple. I like the trunk I have, and I will continue with the path it leads me on, but I still wish to have a more spreading type elm.

 

[Smoke]

My trunk don't look so bad after study with this one. This tree has several more faults than mine has. Mine is repairable too.

 

[GerhardG]

Hi All

There is a good discussion in there I think. I have thought about this many times myself, while using those exact words. In the case of this tree, and many of the tridents recently dug, the grower has built upright trunks with massive taper, leaving nothing to do but make a classical shaped pine tree shaped tree.

I've got that exact problem http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?12982-Elm-Air-Layer-Triplets here, my trunk is not that far into development, and this spring/summer it didn't bud where I wanted.
Cut off all the pine tree style branches because some would/were starting to cause reverse taper.

How do you style an Elm like this?

 

[Smoke]

The tree today
The tree after removing two bar branches (virtual)
The tree after a good years more growth. (virtual)
This photo editor does not allow for manipulation of progressions in a frame. One is correct, two and three are switched in order, but I give up after 9 edits.

 

[jkd2572]

Nice pink shoes.

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

Fascinating progression! I recently acquired a cork bark elm from Brent in a four inch pot. I'm looking forward to develop it into a medium to large size tree. To have good start, I would like to make sure I approach some development techniques. However, I'm not very knowledgeable on how to develop great bases on cork bark elms -in general I am not really familiar with development techniques applied on cork bark elms However, I am certain to get the trunk size I would like, it would be better to grow it in the ground for several years. I would gladly appreciate if you can shed some light.

Nick

 

[M. Frary]

I have a few elms. The cork bark elms I have grew 2' leaders this year. After chop and root work. They're in collanders. Next year I would expect over 3' of growth in a season. Once they get going they go like mad.
2 ways to widen the base. One is to let a sacrifice branch grow out of the base. If you hard prune these there will more than likely be one. Like Smoke said you will be a bud rubbing machine with these trees.
Two . Layer it. Shouldn't take much time. Doing one this spring and the way they grow roots it should only take a couple months to sustainable roots.