A few images of Leaf pruning one of my Zelkovas

I started this Zelkova as a as small seedling, less than the size of a pencil back sometime in the 1980's.

Pot grown from the start.







now for some pruning



I'll be pruning it over the next two weeks when the new leaves will appear.

Very good, indeed!!

Did you made a total defoliation?

Yes this was a total defoliation. All the leaves came off. A 2 hour job.

Very nice Zelkova!

How does the tree react to a total defoliation? Does it spawn a lot of leafs on the inner branches?

SWEET! Love it, gives me hope for the zelkova seedlings I started this year, someday.....far, far away lol

How does the tree react to a total defoliation? Does it spawn a lot of leafs on the inner branches?

Not a lot. Zelkova bonsai, so long as they're healthy of course, really need to be leaf pruned by this time of the year.

Now some years I pinch a lot in the spring but this year I pretty much let it grow to gain a little trunk size.

Zelkova bonsai are very apical domanant. After total defoliation the upper branches are dominant and grow first, this is when I will pinch them this year, then see how much
growth it's pushing to the bottom, where it still needs growth. The inner growth buds will pop also so you have to carefully select them and rub the others off.

I here they strip them twice a year in warmer climates than the Middle of Wisconsin.

You can get 2 years growth in 1 year basically.

I'll post some pictures I took today maybe tomorrow.

These 3 pictures are of the Zelkova after some pruning that has taken place since the leaf pruning.

I do an initial pruning of the outside right after leaf pruning and then put it on the bench by the garage door so I can snip a little at a time.

One of the issues with Zelkova is keeping it in scale. The trunk divides 9" (22.86cm) above the nebari and I usually maintain the tree at 27" (68.58cm),

It is now 24" after pruning. I've cut back some heavier branches in the top of the tree for balance and to shoot energy to the lower branches.

When the new leaves start to sprout I will pinch them and the tree will be at 27" once more, with smaller leaves and hopefully great orange Fall color.





The back of the tree



I'll post more as the process continues.

Nice Gary. My kind of tree.

Edit: I'm curious. How do you remove the leaves? Pull/cut each one or? Thanks.

I'm curious. How do you remove the leaves? Pull/cut each one or? Thanks.

All the books I read said I should pick them off or cut them off so the secondary buds won't be damaged.
That would take a long, long time.

I take a branch in my fingers at the base of the branch and lightly rip the leaves off, then clean up with a scissors or my finger tips.

I don't have a problem with buds coming off on my hands, just leaves.

Here are some pictures of the same tree through the years:

Fall 1999



Fall 2002



Fall 2003



After leaf picking 2003





Summer 2003



It's changed a lot over the years. I lost the whole top going up and had to replace it with the side branches by tying the up. Long process.

Gary Swiech wrote:

I take a branch in my fingers at the base of the branch and lightly rip the leaves off, then clean up with a scissors or my finger tips.

That's how I do it on my elms. With as fine a ramification as your tree has, I can see it taking awhile.
Thanks for the info and the pictures through the years.

Your welcome. Anytime.

Here is the same Zelkova today. July 5, 2012

So it budded after leaf pruning in 6 days after leaf pruning.





It's 100ºF today. Hot

I'll be gone until Monday.

Nice example of zelkova .

Not only Zelcova. Gary has some other trees that deserves a post.

I'll post a few more trees when I take pictures again.

The hot 100ºF temperatures we have been experiencing day after day have been a challenge
keeping up.

It's cooled today. Here are some pictures of the Zelkova now and a yamadori Green Mound juniper that's in need of thinning, pinching and some lime sulfur.


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What a beauty Juniper. Did you collect by yourself? Since when in your training?
Regards Vlad

Thanks Vlad.

Did you collect by yourself?

It's a funny story. I used to be in the Landscaping business for 30 years. Anyways I was driving my pickup truck through our small city of 27,000 people and the city

workers were removing a planting of about 30 Juniperus procumbens"nana" to put in a new planting of some sort. I estimate the planting of these junipers was probably done in the

late 1960's to early 1970's.

They were laying on the sidewalk in 90ºF-32.2ºC and I asked if I could have them. I took the 6 or 7 of the ones I thought had a chance and might survive.

They came from a sandy place in in the city and I brought them home and got the roots in water and potted them up in pumice and sand. This is the only one to survive.

Since when in your training?

This happened 1997. So it's been with me for 15 years.

I'm glad you like it.

There is always question....if they survive? ....Landscaper....well this is great chance to collect some great "neghbourdori"....problem is at many cases if you show you interested ....they grab the chance and ask for money....everybody wants to make a buck. My source is nursery and since owner saw my garden he always give me good discount.
Soon I'll get ready some of my pictures and will start my thread.
Regards Vlad

Good stuff. I love a white pot too.

I look forward to it Vlad.

As far as the Zelkova pot. I had it in a cobalt blue rectangle the same size as the white pot. I like the white pot better also.

If I find a better white pot, that I can afford I may buy one, but I haven't had good luck. Or maybe a cream color?

Hi Gary,

How about showing us your zelcova fall colors, uh?

Thanks
Rui

Here is a picture of that Zelkova in Fall. Not very good color this Fall, it usually turns a brilliant orange color but we had a hard freeze and it kind of just

turned an orange brown this year.

Here's a picture I took of this Zelkova this morning bare.

Temperatures have consistently been in the 28ºF/-2ºC range for a week or so, so they are in their Winter home as of this last weekend.

Hi,
Despite the brown color, i like this zelcova a lot !!

What are you planning to do next?

Thanks Rui.

What are you planning to do next?

I'm not quite sure how to answer your question Rui.

It will go back into it's Winter protection room where I keep the temperature around 28ºF/-2ºC and since it was repotted this Spring,

it will be repotted the following Spring. This Bonsai gets repotted every 2 years.

Does that answer your question or do you mean something else when you say "What are you planning to do next?"