Tiny Elm

vicn said:
I would not have bent that branch over to the right, but allowed it to run and then use it for a thread graft as your first branch on the lower right.
But then I'm 6 months behind.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think that would've been a smarter move. I'm kinda hoping for a new bud, but that might just be wishful thinking.
 
Grant Hamby said:
Repotted into a nicer training pot. I'd say this tree has never been allowed to go fully dormant since it was advertised as an "indoor bonsai" at the garden center, but most of the leaves got pretty crispy. I see new green buds popping on some of the nodes, though. Excited to see how this one does this year with good soil.

View attachment 131662
Click to expand...
Grant, it all depends on what your goals are for this tree. It looks good in that pot, but if you want a lot of growth, a bonsai pot is not the way to go. Bonsai pots are for more refined trees, and the small volumn of soil restricts root growth, and thus restricts overall growth.

From reading the thread, it would appear you want it to grow. So, it should go into a larger (wide but shallow) grow box.

Colanders are not appropriate for deciduous. That's a Pine technique.

The thing about deciduous trees is they're created entirely differently than conifers. Conifers, you take what's there and wire it into place. Deciduous, you grow your trunk until you are happy with it. You dont really care about the branches. Once you have a trunk you like, either cut off all the branches and start over, or grow out whips and thread graft branches where you want them.

Then, it's the same process as building trunk. It's growing out primary branches and building in taper and movement.

Once that's done, then it time to build secondaries.

Once you have properly placed secondaries, THEN work on ramification! Believe me, that's the easy part.

You should get Bill Valavanis' book "Classical Bonsai Art". It shows how to develop maple bonsai. (All types really). But with pictures spanning decades of development.
 
Adair M said:
Grant, it all depends on what your goals are for this tree. It looks good in that pot, but if you want a lot of growth, a bonsai pot is not the way to go. Bonsai pots are for more refined trees, and the small volumn of soil restricts root growth, and thus restricts overall growth.

From reading the thread, it would appear you want it to grow. So, it should go into a larger (wide but shallow) grow box.

Colanders are not appropriate for deciduous. That's a Pine technique.

The thing about deciduous trees is they're created entirely differently than conifers. Conifers, you take what's there and wire it into place. Deciduous, you grow your trunk until you are happy with it. You dont really care about the branches. Once you have a trunk you like, either cut off all the branches and start over, or grow out whips and thread graft branches where you want them.

Then, it's the same process as building trunk. It's growing out primary branches and building in taper and movement.

Once that's done, then it time to build secondaries.

Once you have properly placed secondaries, THEN work on ramification! Believe me, that's the easy part.

You should get Bill Valavanis' book "Classical Bonsai Art". It shows how to develop maple bonsai. (All types really). But with pictures spanning decades of development.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback, Adair. My main goal for the tree at this point is to thicken the primary branches a bit and solidify the structure. I'm actually fairly content with the trunk size, I'm planning on the final pot being significantly shallower. The entire root mass only filled about 1/3 of this pot, so I was thinking it would give it enough room to accomplish that goal. I don't really want the tree to be quite as visually heavy as the one I posted for inspiration.

Having said all that, I have a tendency to rush trees into bonsai pots because I really like bonsai pots... haha. Also, I actually received Bill's book in the mail just last week!
 
Adair M said:
Grant, it all depends on what your goals are for this tree. It looks good in that pot, but if you want a lot of growth, a bonsai pot is not the way to go. Bonsai pots are for more refined trees, and the small volumn of soil restricts root growth, and thus restricts overall growth.

From reading the thread, it would appear you want it to grow. So, it should go into a larger (wide but shallow) grow box.

Colanders are not appropriate for deciduous. That's a Pine technique.

The thing about deciduous trees is they're created entirely differently than conifers. Conifers, you take what's there and wire it into place. Deciduous, you grow your trunk until you are happy with it. You dont really care about the branches. Once you have a trunk you like, either cut off all the branches and start over, or grow out whips and thread graft branches where you want them.

Then, it's the same process as building trunk. It's growing out primary branches and building in taper and movement.

Once that's done, then it time to build secondaries.

Once you have properly placed secondaries, THEN work on ramification! Believe me, that's the easy part.

You should get Bill Valavanis' book "Classical Bonsai Art". It shows how to develop maple bonsai. (All types really). But with pictures spanning decades of development.
Click to expand...

There are many many books on bonsai and so many mentioned on this forum by many, but I greatly respect your experience and knowledge on this art Adair and I think I'd like to get that book and give it a read, on your recommendation.
I do love Maples. So, thanks.

Totally understand that @Grant Hamby , about the pot! Im going to be making a grow box for a Maple this spring and Its going to be a shame to see it in a shabby looking box for a number of years but just gotta think of the future :)
 
Well as long as it's not too late, this one and the knobby trident will both be moved into boxes asap. I'm out of town today but tomorrow I should be able to knock them both out. It's not like they're show-ready trees, so I don't know why I feel the need to put them in nice pots, haha.

Onward. Forever learning.
 
Got this tree in a wooden grow box. Initially, I was making my boxes way too beefy and not wide/shallow enough. Thank you @markyscott for pointing that out before I used them. I made a wide/shallow box for this guy, wired the tree to a small board, and potted it up. I'll try to get a pic in the daytime.
 
aml1014 said:
I feel you, spring is making a VERY early move here, so I've been preparing like a mad man for repots/collections (which I'm already doing both!)

Aaron
Click to expand...

Yeah same here, my wife got a sunburn the other day while she was sunbathing in the yard. February?

And yeah I saw your elm collection thread! So dope. Can't wait to see what all you come up with!
 
Quick update: Got some decent new growth coming out. The wire was just starting to dig in a bit so I pulled that off today. Also, the apex broke off over the winter, but a new shoot is popping in its place. I just plan to let it get bushy for a while, then cut back & repeat.

IMG_4215.JPG
 
If it develops anymore black spot, please take a pic or 2 for me? Just trying to make sure I look out for it among mine, I'm still young in the hobby and I have 5 Chinese elms.
 
I noticed black spot on several branches of mine yesterday....
Trim and Daconil mist....
Didn't want to trim it yet because I did major root reduction in early spring this year.....we'll see.
 
just.wing.it said:
I noticed black spot on several branches of mine yesterday....
Trim and Daconil mist....
Didn't want to trim it yet because I did major root reduction in early spring this year.....we'll see.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's how I felt about mine too! Oh well, hopefully it understands I was looking out for its best interests. Lol.
 
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