名媛直播

?Hi all just a quick question regarding these cuttings I took from my Chinese elm last summer/autumn. As you can see they are doing well and next spring I’ll put them into bigger pots or even in the ground.?
Obviously it’s going to be years before I can do anything ‘bonsai’ related and I know the aim is get the trunk much thicker but do I trim those long branches or just leave them? Some of them have 8 or 9 pairs of leaves! My thoughts are, if I prune back to 2 or 3 pairs now, by the end of the autumn there’ll be even more branches…or should I just leave them untouched??
Also, should I let these little fellas go through the normal winter dormancy or take them inside my shed or cold frame for the winter?
I live in south wales, uk.?

Thanks

Wonker??

?

I would say it depends on your final goal for the tree. If you aim for a small tree and those branches is part of the final design I would start to prune. If you aim for bigger trees and have space enough, just let them go wild.

But there are another aspect of it as well. The longer you wait, the bigger the scars will be and take longer to heal. So it is a balace of time management. Pruning a lot affects speed of trunk thickening negativelly. It is a balance we all struggle with. I like to think that big scars is less of a problem If they are away from the viewer, so I prune more frequently on the front than the back.

I live in Sweden where chinese elms do not survive every winter outdoors. So I place them in a 5 degrees overwintering room. That also affects my pruning as I need to concider space management in winter as well. So I need to prune hard before winter and therefore aims for small trees in the future.

As always, thanks for the quick response. My final goal will be a tree approximately 25cm high so I’m after a trunk at least an inch thick, probably a bit more. Currently the trunk is not even pencil thick so there’s a long way to go…although the branches on these things grow like weeds!

I’ve attached 2 pics of the mother tree, one from when it was bought for me in terrible garden centre soil and one from last month. With the cuttings, I think I want to go away from the mother’s ‘S’ bend…but that’s the point, I don’t really know at this stage; I was hoping to be guided by the tree itself! ?

So my theory that pruning now at the start of summer meaning?more long branches by the end of autumn will thicken the trunk quicker is not correct?

So, it’s ok to let the leaves fall off in winter dormancy as per the mother tree as long as it doesn’t get too cold? That shouldn’t be a problem here in South Wales!

Many thanks

Wonker

You have at least two clubs near you, and a nursery not far as well. Joining a club will enhance your understanding and will be a source of material for more trees. There was a show recently as well.

I did consider it but besides what I’ve learned from YouTube and forums like this, I’m pretty clueless and would have nothing to offer a club! ???♂?

I like the development of the mother tree.

Trunk thickening comes wit foliage mass. Pruning always slow down thickening.

Yes, it is ok to let the tree shed all leafs in winter. It is a decidious tree after all.

So are we saying to just leave it and do no pruning? ?

I’m pleased with the mother tree so far but I need to thicken the lower left branch but the vigorous growth is always at the top!?

Over the next few years I’ll slowly improve it all and start to think about the roots! ?

Wonker wrote: So are we saying to just leave it and do no pruning? ?

That is not at all what I am saying. My message is that there are pros and cons with every method.

Prune often and much and you will have slow developing trunk but fast developing ramification and fast healing. It will create a better tree in the very long run. But it takes a very long time.

Prune less often and trunk will thicken faster, but it will look messy for a few years,?scars will take longer to heal and ramification will come later.?This method is faster to a finished bonsai.

First method is better for small trees and second for big trees.

Depending on your age, space and timeframe shoose the best method for you. If you are not happy with the method, try another one. 名媛直播 is about what works for you in your climate, vision and time perspective.

Nice looking Mother Tree.

Thanks for saying that. I appreciate it. It was a gift from my wife for my 50th in 2022 and the style and soil were awful! ?

It’s my only tree that is anywhere close to being a bonsai and it still has a long way to go. I want to thicken the lower left branch, get more depth, decrease leaf size etc etc. ?

I have other trees either in the ground or pots/ pond baskets including 1 Japanese Black Pine, 2 Judas trees, 1 mugo pine, 1 English oak, 2 Ash, several boxwoods and a cotoneaster!?

I’m just letting these grow until I learn more about them…I’m enjoying the journey. If only I could decide what to do with these elm cuttings! ? maybe I’ll prune one and let the others grow.?

Thanks

Wonker.?