lp80

Hello all

I recently purchased a Bonsai which appears to be a Chinese elm. The heights is 14 inches, and base of trunk 5".





Questions

1) Trunk: If you look closely, where the trunk curves there are deep cracks at the hinge. Should this be looked into? Can it be repaired by sanding or similar?

2) Pot size. The plant is currently in a pot sized 9x6x3. According to websites i've read this may be too small. What size pot should I be looking at?

3) Roots: There are exposed roots at the base, and all 4 corners of the pot. How can I tell if these roots are live or dead? Should they be trimmed or submerged when re potted?

4) What variant of elm (if thats even the proper type) is this?

Thanks!

Phil

As for the "cracks" in the bend of the trunk, it looks more like creases, and no need for concern about that. Commercially available Chinese elms are more often than not grown in this S shape for the trunk.
A few exposed roots are also no need for concern. However, it does look like it perhaps could use a wee bit of more room for a pot, and the reason for the exposed roots as it is pushing itself out of the pot. Maybe a pot about two more inches bigger in width and length would do the trick.

Chinese elm

~Phil~

P.S. Welcome to BonsaiCHAT!

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Salvelinus

That's a big tree with some potential. The main thing I see is the very straight middle portion of the trunk with the very long internodes. With the lack of a branch there on the left side, and only one on the right, it gives the impression of a significant imbalance. The eye wants to see the largest internode from the roots to 1st branch, with decreasing size of internodes as you progress up the trunk. The straightness also detracts from the harmony, given the nice curves at the lower part of the trunk.

What do you do about it? I can't think of a single easy fix. You could try grafting the lower part of that straight section to increase branching there. You should probably shorten the trunk after the lower branches have taken. You could also use the 3rd branch as the new leader and cut the trunk just above that, which would probably be the easier and shorter fix.

To answer your questions:

1) Those cracks are due to the cambium buckling under the extreme bend. It was wired into this shape when it was a seedling, and now that the trunk has thickened it has no where else to go in that area. You can't fix it without making things worse. I wouldn't touch it.

2) I'd put it into a larger, deeper pot (maybe twice the current size or a bit more) in order to speed up the rate of growth so your changes will heal faster. It's going to take years under the best conditions, so you want to give yourself the best possible scenario. You could also consider planting in the ground to really pick up the speed.

3) If they are black, they're dead. If they have green under the bark when scratched, they're alive. I wouldn't worry about them so much right now. I'd concentrate on combing the roots in a radial fashion from the trunk and reducing oversized roots right now. You want to be sure you have enough feeder roots to keep it alive, though. Wait until Spring to repot.

4) It's a Chinese Elm.

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Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

Salvelinus

Just an addendum...before you chop the trunk (if you decide to do that), you may want to air-layer the top, which would make a nice little tree on it's own. That way, you get two-for-one!

I think you're going to like working on this tree--just be patient, very patient.

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

lp80

Thanks all

I followed everyone's posts with the exception of some lines by Salvelinus which may be a little advanced for me

I'll research "combing roots" to see what your talking about.


Another interesting thought. I have been wondering on how to get branching on the left side.

Does this refer to the lack of a taper on the trunk as it goes upward? I don't think there is a way to fix that but I may be wrong.

I also want to increase foliage on the lower/left branch.

Thanks for the comments!

Salvelinus

I'll explain better. Sorry.

"Combing the roots" refers to arranging the roots. It's done with a root rake, root hook, or chopstick. Your goal is to make the roots radiate, or point directly away from the trunk. Be sure to undo tangles as best you can, at least on the surface. Roots crossing each other don't look as nice.

If you're new to bonsai, grafting may be too advanced for you, though I don't know what your skills are. Thread grafting, when you're ready, isn't all that hard, though. Honestly, I'd consider air-layering (a technique to start roots on the upper trunk, after which you sever the trunk below the roots and pot up the new tree) the top and chopping back the trunk to the third branch, using it as your new leader. If it were mine, I'd probably also remove one or both of the lower 2 branches, depending on how the tree reacted after the chop. You will get buds everywhere after a hard prune like that, especially if you do it early in the year just before bud break. Don't do it at the same time you repot, though.

Internodes refer to the distance between nodes. Typically, that means distance between leaves, but it also refers to distance between branches. A mature tree tends to have its longest internode from the roots to the 1st branch, 2nd longest from the first to the second branch, and so on to the apex. On your tree, it has the appearance of an extremely long internode in the middle part of the tree. You are correct about the lack of taper in this section--that's another reason I'd probably just get rid of this section and shorten the tree.

Increase foliage by cutting shoots back to 2-3 leaves after they extend to 6-7. The new shoots will grow in the direction of the last 1-2 leaves, so consider where you want your branch to grow and cut to that point.

If you are inexperienced at bonsai, you really should try to find a mentor in your area who can teach you these more advanced techniques. There's nothing like hands-on, face-to-face instruction. In the meantime, learn how to keep the tree healthy.

I hope this helped.

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

lp80

Thanks. Can you help identify the first/third branch? I'm trying to visualize how a chop would change the shape of the tree.

Salvelinus

The first branch is the lowest, second is the next one up the trunk, etc. until the apex, which is the top of the tree.

I did a quick and dirty virtual of what I think would be the easiest, and in the long run the best option. That is, removing the trunk above the third branch. Hopefully that makes it more clear. I also moved the angle of the apex and the angle and position of the first branch to show how this would create more harmony.

Now, having said all this, I think the next step after removing the trunk is to let the apex grow unimpeded for a two or three years (fewer needed if in ground or large pot), or maybe more, then cutting back again in the same manner to a lower branch. This process, repeated several times, will encourage a large base and nice taper to the trunk, while allowing you to impart some natural movement if you wish. Or, you can keep it small if you want--that would look good, too, and you would get there faster.

This is just one person's idea--take from it what you want. I still think you should get together with someone in your area with more experience who can guide you through this. Good Luck!

Attached Images

risokm virt copy.jpg (97.0 KB, 12 views)

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

lp80

Now I understand what your saying. I never thought of that!

Although I dont see how I can get a nice taper up top still without filing/shaping the trunk after its been cut. It does look nice real short although more branches would be ideal.

[edit]

I found a way to do it online..

lp80

I found a thread of someone who did a similar thing. Please forgive me if this against the rules and i'll remove the link.

Chinese Elm reconstruction via thread grafting. | HelpfulGardener.com

What i'm wondering is, how was he able to get growth right on the tip? Was this a graph? My tree currently has a flat stump.