Chinese Elm First Styling

Just a cheap 'Mallsai' Chinese Elm on its way to becoming a more natural bonsai.





The top has been air-layered and should make a half decent tree on its own in time.

Lee.

Well Lee,

much thanks, as you just visually answered for me, why the Chinese shape those trees the way they do.
In image one, if I look at it with the eyes of a non bonsai grower, all that plant really needed was a classic rectangle and you would have one of those Kung Fu movie background fillers.

Just the right shape of pot and it's a perfect marriage.

Thanks again, and thanks for showing. Hope to your matured tree in a few years.
Later.
Khaimraj

Khaimraj Seepersad wrote:Well Lee,

much thanks, as you just visually answered for me, why the Chinese shape those trees the way they do.
In image one, if I look at it with the eyes of a non bonsai grower, all that plant really needed was a classic rectangle and you would have one of those Kung Fu movie background fillers.

Just the right shape of pot and it's a perfect marriage.

Thanks again, and thanks for showing. Hope to your matured tree in a few years.
Later.
Khaimraj

Hmmmmm... So are you saying you think I have done the right thing or should have left it how it was?

I think you turned trash into gold. Good work.

That should have been - hope to - SEE - your matured tree in a few years.
Khaimraj

Lee,

apologies for the left out word, and the short previous response, I was in the middle of something and had to drop off line.

I had an enlightened moment viewing your first image and drifted off.

Your tree in the second image looks fine, and I am interested in seeing how you train it.
It looks like one of those curved around a stick Chinese trained export trees. If it is I would like to see how you deal with the curl.

With the first image, which a camera, having only one eye, will flatten, I realised how such an elm could work when viewed from just the front.

As I have written before, I get the idea that these trees are being culled out of batches meant for higher end sales, and would work as designs if the trunks were increased to over 8 cm. The curl being swallowed in the growing and adding real personality to the design.

What most folk do is fight with the curl, with too thin a trunk, and get frustrated.
The second situation is an air layer to get rid of the curl and focus on the roots to get the eagle's claw.
Thanks for your patience.
Khaimraj

I like the line of the new tree. What height is it?  And confirm for me please that what we're seeing in the pic is the bottom of the original.

Like this a lot - my long suffering Chinese Elm is similar to your original albeit more extreme in the shaping and I am trying an air layer to make something decent from the top third, if this works there's potential to layer the lower branches too and get a few more to play with. Nicely done Lee.

Dave

I am also working on one of these mallsis I got as a gift years ago. I'm air layering the most ramified branch. I'm hoping to turn it into a small raft. The air layer seems to be working so its off to a good start.

Thanks folks.

fiona wrote:I like the line of the new tree. What height is it?  And confirm for me please that what we're seeing in the pic is the bottom of the original.  

Yes, Fiona - this is the bottom part of the original tree. It is 20 cm above its pot.