The 5 Year Zelkova Challenge

[cmeg1]

Fantastic, Brian.Thank you for the updates.This is really interesting to me.
I had to take zelkova cuttings because I had a bad batch of seed this season with zero germination.I had great success with cuttings and have 18 of them pushing new growth now.
Looks like I am going to grow me some informal uprights.

 

[Ross]

Hi Brian,
Nice tree and great thread. I've checked in over the years and it's good to see updates on a nice tree like this when it's obviously moving in the right direction quickly. When I first glanced at the more recent pictures (after you removed the bottom left branch in 2010 I think) I thought that maybe the tree would look better potted on the right side of the pot, rotated a bit clockwise, so that the main visible root addresses or opens up to the 'landscape'. It seems like the bulk of the foliage is on the right now, so the tree leans a little left and forward for balance and presentation respectively. As such, I'd think to place it to the back right of the pot, but obviously you have worked with the tree for a long time and I'm just looking at pictures. What are your thoughts on its final placement within the pot? Again, great tree, nice to see a big mature elm like this.

-Ross

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks Ross. I see where you're coming from, giving the left root some expanse by moving the tree to the right. I haven't really thought about final placement (or pot). I have been working on developing nebari to strengthen the right side, but it's an old tree and not very fast to do much more than throw shoots.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Update...probably time for another defoliation, but not sure I'm all that motivated...
second photo shows the back, which has a nicer base.

 

[cmeg1]

Wow,another defoliation.I just did a few of my trees for the first time.It is very time consuming.And the petioles are so short and next to the buds.
I might be free from a lot of wiring,but I am not escaping the defoliation in the future as I will have a bunch of zelkova trees.
Just seen this tree on your blog,looks great!

 

[larlamonde]

Update...probably time for another defoliation, but not sure I'm all that motivated...
second photo shows the back, which has a nicer base.

Why don't you make the back the new front? Looks great!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Why don't you make the back the new front? Looks great!

I may at some point, but it would require a significant reduction in height, since the tree has about a 60 degree "bow" toward the front at about 8" up. I have been developing a good branch at the back that would become the new leader if I go that route, but I like the proportions at the moment.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Brian,

So, it is not too late to defoliate a zelcova? I have one that is similar to yours in size and have read your progression of this tree with great interest. It would be great to cut all of the leaves off and see what I have under it all.

Thanks,

John

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You should be able to pull it off down there...mine seems to take about 30 days to grow out and harden off; and we're about to hit that late summer growing period.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Great, it looks like I now have my weekend project. Once I get it defoliated, maybe i can get some advice from you on which way I need to go.

Thanks,

John

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Great, it looks like I now have my weekend project. Once I get it defoliated, maybe i can get some advice from you on which way I need to go.

Thanks,

John

Anytime...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

This may be all the fall color it shows. The snap freeze last week definitely slowed its roll!

 

[Smoke]

Alomost looks like you put a mirror between the foliage and the pot. Thats a pretty good match.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Pot change.
Haircut next weekend...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I sold this tree a few years ago to a member here, who I think has since sold it again. But since a part of it lives on in my garden, I’m going to keep this thread going with it’s “grandson”. This is an air layer off a cutting from the OP tree:

It had a bad base, so last year I decided to air layer it again, and try for a radial nebari. I still don’t know if I accomplished it, or just shortened it, but here is a shot of the separation about a year ago:

And subsequent growth once it finally decided to live and get moving this summer:

Then when it was wired, it really took off!

And when it started biting in about 3 weeks later, I removed the wire and cut it back pretty hard:

At this rate, it will have a fairly thin, broad canopy if I want it to remain technically shohin, but I think it can be convincing.

 

[cmeg1]

Wow,this is a nice project!
If the nebari did not produce roots all the way around,can you use seedlings with any grafting techniques?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Wow,this is a nice project!
If the nebari did not produce roots all the way around,can you use seedlings with any grafting techniques?

Don’t know yet. It was so weak this spring that I didn’t repot it. I’ll check that out next spring now I know it’s healthy.

 

[Clicio]

Amazing work, @Brian Van Fleet !
Any updates on the grandson?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Amazing work, @Brian Van Fleet !
Any updates on the grandson?

Thanks, it’s doing ok. Haven’t photographed it in a few months, but here it is back in late March:

Most recent article on the tree is here:

Zelkova Air-layer outcome

I was hoping for the best, and expecting the worst. Even the parent tree had a very one-sided root system. Still…? It was 2017 when I created and separated the layer, and in 2018 I wasn&#8217…

nebaribonsai.wordpress.com

 

[ConorDash]

So here is a project I've been working on since '06 and I'd say I'm at about the halfway point. This is a Zelkova that belonged to a friend, given to him from another friend, who styled it with Ben Oki in the 80s or 90s. Neither of them were satisfied with how the tree looked, but since it had been a bonsai for a long time, it became difficult to do the work that needed to be done: chop everything that "didn't work" and start over.

In March of '06, my buddy decided he'd had enough of the tree, and gave it to me to do whatever I wanted to it, but he would always have first right of refusal if I ever wanted to get rid of it. I also bet him that I would have it ready to show in 5 years.

Here is the material. The trunk is 3" in diameter at the widest point. At the time, it was about 36" tall, but styled into a slant.
2002:
View attachment 42323

So.... did you lose the bet?