AlainK

Zelkova serrata is fun.

Easy to grow, backbuds profusely when cut back, hardy, never has a disease whre I live (USDA zone 8), wonderful colours in autumn (wonderful colors in the fall, for those over the pond ), fast-growing when in a big pot or in the ground, leaf-reduction very good when small-pot bound,...

In a nutshell : try it!

Drawbacks : big bulging scars where you cut large branches.

I had one that I put back into the ground and lmeft there for about 4 years. unfortunately, I don't have pics before :

Feb. 2008 (the top was a sucession of bulging knots with random branches)



April 2nd 2008 : backbudding. Other new shoots appeared, but I didn't take photos, 5-6 shoots in one place.



(NB: the white thing is "Catsan" )


June 1st : selected only three branches and cut it back a bit more:




Wired it to keep it in shape with the twisted nebari :



I have plenty seedlings from the trees that grow in my garden (three 8-10 meters ones !), so I will improve the nebari with approach grafting of seedlings.

This one will have a "Chinese" feel, I think

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Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

Mattbonsai

Nice start with that Little one! I may have to try that species based on that massive growth in just this part of the year! or, we may have to break a few Defra rules and endulge in a bit of smuggling!

-Matt-

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AlainK

Defra ???

Oh, I seeee :

Defra, UK - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Well, I don't think smuggling is necessary, you should be able to find seeds, or seedlings in the UK: the ones I planted in my garden are 15 yrs old, and since, I've seen some planted along streets. I suppose it's because it was an alternative to the deseased elm trees. So there shouldn't be any problem finding some on your island

But I can definitely send you some seeds in autumn, or even staplings maybe, just remind me in september.

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Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

JTGJr25

I love zelkova's. They grow fast and are easy the take cuttings from. I don't find the scars an issue, they bring interest to the trunk. What I do find an issue is the roots grow so fast it is hard to create a good nebari. I have a small one that will be a mame to shohin size tree in the next couple of years. They grow so fast and bud so profusely that I think I could have something by the end of next year after the second trunk chop. Anyone can grow them and yes the fall color is nice.

Tom

Mattbonsai

Yeah, I really should of remembered that not everyone knows the organisations running Britain. I don't often see Zelkova around here, there's a nice big one at college but the squirrels, rabbits and weeders get to any seedlings before me.

It would be great if you could send some seedlings, or seeds, and I'm pretty sure we're ok for importing them as long as they're not a specie of plant that is a carrier of a disease / pest that we have, until now, prevented from entering our climate, like rhodies and sudden oak death.

-Matt-

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