Zelkova Styling

[dpowell]

This is a nice Zelkova pre-bonsai I picked up this past summer. I think I know what I want to do with it, but I'd love to hear other opinions as well. The trunk is very tall for it's width and doesn't have much taper or movement until you get to the top. It does have a reasonable flare at the base and the trunk is decently sized.
I'm not sure what the original person who worked on this tree had in mind as far as the future of the tree. Some of the chop marks are already completely healed over so it's been going in this direction for a long time.
To me it looks like an obvious candidate for an air-layer. I've marked in the photo where I was thinking, but I'm open to suggestions.

 

[JudyB]

dpowell, The base is actually not bad at all. If you air layer the top, then you'd have two trees, and the bottom would def. give you better options if you do. I can't tell from the photo, but is there reverse taper above the chop line? If so, then you may want to go lower with the chop, and get rid of the section that has the reverse taper, and have a shohin air layer top. You may want to go a bit lower with the chop in any event, as it lacks any movement or taper in the bottom section. I know that broom zelkova's are everywhere, but I still love this tree in the broom form. And that is the form they actually take in nature... So I think that's where I'd go with the bottom.
luck!

 

[dpowell]

Thanks Judy, broom for the base was my initial idea as well so I'm glad you had the same thought. The reverse taper on top is very slight and I believe it is correctable so I'm not too worried about it.

 

[bonsai barry]

What were your thoughts when you chose the point where you are considering making a new chop? I think I would make it closer to the base of the tree.

 

[dpowell]

I think my initial thought was that it would be a good starting place for the top half. After you and Judy mentioned it I think I'll be going lower than originally planned.

 

[jk_lewis]

Yes. I think I'd chop at the one-quarter mark on the trunk. Whether you layer or not depends on how much of a hurry you are about getting started on the lower part. Personally, I'd chop and be done with it. The taper above isn't much to write home abut.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Before you chop, be sure the trunk is alive all the way around. Get it wet, and after a few minutes, you'll notice parts that are greenish-brown, and some parts (hopefully none, or just a few around old cuts) that have an orange hue. The orange parts represent dead trunk, no living cambium, where you can expect no buds to pop back after a trunk chop. Not that it's altogether bad, but you'll at least know what you can/cannot expect. This way, you can choose a point along the trunk to chop, that has live cambium tissue all the way around it, if you're hoping to do the classic broom-style, where all branches emerge from one spot at the "top" of the trunk.

I chopped one that appears to be similar in size to this about 6 years ago, and enough of the trunk was dead, that I had to go a completely different direction on styling. It's got enough age and history to it that it was worth keeping, but it will never be a show-stopper because the upper-right half of the trunk is dead. The series is here, and will give you a realistic timeline of the project you're about to undertake. I'll update this thread over the next couple weeks now that the leaves are falling.

 

[dpowell]

Thanks Brian, I've read your thread, as well as the progressions on your website, but didn't know about the water trick. I'll have to check that out.

 

[Gaitano]

Trunk chop for Broom start

For those who have done a broom style on a Zelkova, is there a preference between a flat cut vs. the "v-cut"? I'm about to start one on a trunk that is about 2 1/2".

The other question I had is about binding the top to keep the bulge down. Will raffia do the trick well enough? I read mixed results using a hose clamp.

 

[cmeg1]

For those who have done a broom style on a Zelkova, is there a preference between a flat cut vs. the "v-cut"? I'm about to start one on a trunk that is about 2 1/2".

The other question I had is about binding the top to keep the bulge down. Will raffia do the trick well enough? I read mixed results using a hose clamp.

I believe John Naka's book sais' to wrap the tree with twine at the chop site to control bulging.

 

[discusmike]

If your looking for a formal broom I believe you will have to chop wayy lower.

 

[Gaitano]

Mike, if you are referring to the picture, it's not mine...I just hijacked an old thread while searching for info.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

For those who have done a broom style on a Zelkova, is there a preference between a flat cut vs. the "v-cut"? I'm about to start one on a trunk that is about 2 1/2".

The other question I had is about binding the top to keep the bulge down. Will raffia do the trick well enough? I read mixed results using a hose clamp.

I trunk-chopped this 3" older zelkova in a V in 2006, and it didn't bud back as I hoped. Instead, the right side of the V died back and I had to significantly change course.

Recently, I chopped a layer flat, and it popped more consistently around the perimeter. I don't know what other factors were at work, but that's been my experience with it on zelkova.

 

[Gaitano]

Thanks for the input Brian, I went through that whole thread. Quite an impressive transformation on that tree, start to current (that thing was a monster).

Do you believe it didn't sprout on the one side due to the dead spots on the trunk in that area? Or do you think the flat cut is just a better method due to Murphy's Law?

I noted your trunk color trick and will certainly make note of the healthy areas before proceeding.