Ulmus parvifolia 'Seiju'

[AlainK]

Like Ulmus x hollandica 'Jacqueline Hillier", it might seem to be a great species for bonsai, but it's not that easy. The internodes are very short (a few millimeters), but scale-like, like the bones on a fish.

What's more, if you want to use the "clip and grow" method, the cuts don't heal so well.

Anyway, I bought an Ulmus parvifolia 'Seiju' last year, and got another one for free last Sunday because my friend didn't really know what to do with it.

Ulmus parvifolia 'Seiju' 1 :



Ulmus parvifolia 'Seiju' 2 (freebie) :



If anyone has an " Ulmus parvifolia 'Seiju' ", this thread is for us to try and make a nice bonsai out of them...

 

[WesB]

Love this thread already, wish I had a super good one like this one found off Google. They make GREAT bonsai IMO.

 

[eb84327]

I'm working on a Hillier in development. Holy smokes do they produce roots!

 

[BrianBay9]

I just cut down a Seiju and repotted. I found it at a local nursery in a 20 gal pot, about 8 ft tall. It's got a long way to go but I think it's a pretty good base. Alain you're right, that young bark looks weird. I think Seiju need that mature bark to look credible.

 

[coachspinks]

This is one that was about a 3' bush in a 3 gallon container. It was really root bound. I cut the top and roots back hard. It is now about 12" tall. This picture was taken early in the summer after I had cut it back again. I cut it once more later in the summer. It is now almost in full leaf. I will be picking some branches later this week and will take another picture.

 

[Adair M]

Seiju make great bonsai, just need a bit of patience.

Clip and grow works well, just let it grow more before you clip!

I would change to pot into something less deep.

 

[M. Frary]

Had one.
They can take regular winters here but when the polar vortex rolls in they're done. I had this one for a few years until winter 2015. They don't like -35F.
This one was 24" tall.

 

[davetree]

I have had this one for a few years. This is an old pic, I have cut the tree back a few times and it’s in a different pot. I don’t really like the growth pattern, it seems hard to control.

 

[WesB]

I had a small one from BB9 a long time ago. Beautiful bark but not cold hardy enough for my poorly skills back then. Beautiful bark!!

 

[nrgizerrod]

Cool to see a Seiju post! I picked this one up last summer and it seems to be doing well. It came out of dormancy in my garage during a warm spell so I brought it inside, it's been growing like crazy ever since. I plan on re-potting in to something wider come spring so it can fatten up.

 

[WesB]

Seiju make great bonsai, just need a bit of patience.

Clip and grow works well, just let it grow more before you clip!

I would change to pot into something less deep.

Ha! Before getting lost in the Cotoneaster section today I passed by about 5 very small Seiju and made the joke that “someone did more clip than grow on these” haha.

 

[AlainK]

Didn't expect so many replies, thanks everyone for your input, makes me think...

 

[WesB]

Didn't expect so many replies, thanks everyone for your input, makes me think...

You touched our hearts <3

 

[0soyoung]

I have had this one for a bit less than a decade

and last fall, I decided that I will start over with it.

And I have two smaller air layers from it.

Nice old bark, small leaves. Ought to make nice bonsai, but ...

 

[moke]

Keep the number of branches at nodes under control or watch out pot belly’s up and down. I planted mine in the ground “In a colander!!!” last summer, it grew phenomenal I then dug it up in the fall and have it in my shed waiting for the ground again this spring.

 

[Stan Kengai]

I have been trying to develop stock plants for 5-6 years now. I don't have much to show for it at this point, but I have learned the following;

Cuts made back to an existing branch in the growing season scar hugely.
Cuts made during dormancy tend not to heal.
Chopped plants will sprout out of the cut cambium, creating huge swelling at the chop site. Leaving a stub on a cut branch typically does not work, since it will sprout out of the end.
Plants sprout better on 'green' wood as opposed to corked wood.

Recommendations;

Cut back large branches and make chops in the fall.
Chop back to green wood, preferably, using putty over chops.

In typing this, I realize that I have not tried cutting back leaving a branch stub during dormancy and removing the stub the following winter.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Started with a pencil that grew poorly for couple years, put it in the landscape for 3+ years, where it grew exponentially. Was my favorite tree for many years and dropped dead winter of '15-'16. My heart is broken.

 

[quietobserver]

So one of my pseudo New Years resolutions was to “participate” and post tree pics instead of just reading. So, here’s my spitty seiju under poor lighting conditions.

 

[0soyoung]

dropped dead winter of '15-'16.

#$!$Q%

It was so nice ...

 

[quietobserver]

Started with a pencil that grew poorly for couple years, put it in the landscape for 3+ years, where it grew exponentially. Was my favorite tree for many years and dropped dead winter of '15-'16. My heart is broken.View attachment 228340
View attachment 228340

RIP.

Brutal MI cold caught up with it or just a hobbyist mystery loss? Sorry to hear.