Sleepy Hollow-English Elm

Ulmus Procera/Minor

This is another new project im working on with native species. this is styled in a fairy tale image, or even just an ancient wood land tree with a creepy twist.  it doesnt confine to any rules, it doesnt even know if its an informal upright or multi trunk, each way its turned reveals another form. some of the branches are extremely angular while some have twirly twists. the natural bends have been accentuated with wire on most branches.
Of course, its in early stages of development, but minimal wiring will be used on this one, just pruning for direction after these branch bars are set.
Hope you like it..The hollow in the base is completely natural, but ive had to carve a little inverse taper out of the double apex and also have began hollowing out the heavy trunk to the left. its obscured from this angle...

20160302_125136 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20160302_125118 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20160305_172246 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Some more images can be seen of this tree here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138823275@N03/albums/72157665442375766/with/25240892920/

Mad as a box of frogs!

I love it

My only reservation is that ramrod straight branch at the top. I'd cut it off. It's an Elm so something else is bound to sprout. Alternatively I'd try to bend it because as it stand it's at odds with all the other branches that you've wired. They complement the movement of the trunk, that one conflicts with it.

Well, that's just my opinion anyway. It's a great tree either way.

Regards

Richard

Im in agreement Richard, ill either try to get some bend in it, or reduce and see or wait for it to back bud. there are some dormant buds about to pop on the main trunk too, so may let one extend on the right where its a little bare.

Edit.
One of the apex's may be removed in the future depending how the tree adjusts to the recent work....but the tree is heading towards a tall, slender image of a real Elm and i imagine something like this when in leaf


before returning to its haunted look in winter

Hi all,

Made some adjustments to this tree..

I decided to go with the right apex, as i'd already over cut the left one...think it turned out ok
ive sealed all the cut areas and the branches around the apex should provide some good callusing this season, the hollow in the top is a little shiny atm because of some wood staining. needs time to weather in..
IMG_9466 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_9473 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_9484 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_9486 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

if you look close enough you may see the faces of lost souls..
IMG_9487 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_9490 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

some Uro in the base
IMG_9499 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_9501 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_9500 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


IMG_9507 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

can see all images here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138823275@N03/sets/72157665442375766

Well that's even better I think (and I liked it anyway).

By the way, what did you seal the cuts with and why is it shiny? Obviously not cut paste. Some kind of wood preserver presumably? You don't favour letting it weather naturally then?

Not a criticism by the way, just interested in your approach. I used to studiously seal cuts with Lac Balsam (bloody awful stuff that is almost impossible to remove - although good for sticking broken branches together ). I generally don't bother at all now though.

Regards

Richard

Hi Richard, i sealed the cuts with Kyonal sealant....i usually let stuff weather naturally too, but in this case i wanted the apex hollow to appear dark and black, so i used india ink inside and ronseal wood stain (dark oak) on the outer edges to help blend in with the dark black. if its still a little shiny in a few months i may use a wire brush to gently rub out bits of the stain from the edges. or a wire brush on the dremel, slow speed.

I used the techniques from G Potters vid on this particular tree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHIvEFiuJNo

Hi again folks,

A quick update on this one...
This one was re potted a few weeks ago, some changes were made, the left stump was reduced further and is more of a little hollow now than an ugly stump. some reducing of branches was done and further styling

The mass of feeder roots..
2016-04-02_08-09-45 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

This is the tree today, it was put in a round China mist pot, its now beginning to take shape
IMG_0041 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_0050 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_0055 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Time to remove the moss as some of the roots are growing up into it
IMG_0058 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_0060 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Final styling will see branches from the front and back with the majority of trunk line visible through branch structure....the big hollow will be left open, other hollows obscured by branches...all the primary branching is set with wire including baby bending of two shoots, next stage will be clip n grow/pruning for direction and pruning harder in the upper half ...

Hello Bobby
I thought that left apex spoiled the image when I first saw this tree so I'm happy to see it removed.

I love what you've done so far.

latest photo taken, it filled out quite a bit
IMG_2447 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Still early days for this one, but over the summer the tree was continually clipped back in the apex and this has resulted in a more balanced image and vigor throughout the tree, this type of pruning will continue next season...there are a few bits of wire here and there mainly to position rather than bend
the primary branches are all set now and the tree will be built from here, any adventitious buds sprouting from the trunk will be swiftly removed..

IMG_2946 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
2016-11-24_03-53-21 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Hm.. Cot your work cut out for you on this one. I notice you have not thinned the jungle of small branches on the top. Any plans to do this? Or will you let nature decide which ones live? (In other words: I would have thinned this out a lot. Where am I wrong in doing this, lol)

Hi Leatherback, there is no need to thin them at this point, they are 1-2 nodes and not even worth wiring yet, in the growing season i will continue to clip them back when they get to four or three nodes long, rinse and repeat, the lower branches can be left to grow out and clipped back at 6-8 nodes. this way the top ramifys quickly and the lower branches get stronger. elms are vigorous growers, should have a much fuller image in a year or two. there will be no defined apical branch, i think thats what youre getting at....many branches will form one ramified crown.

Nov 2016
IMG_2946 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Late nov 2016 after leaf drop
2016-11-24_03-53-21 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Not happy with the naked image and the busy grown, you can see a swelling developing there....

I reduced the tree to two leaders

July 2017
IMG_5025 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_5033 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Its got some filling out to do, it didnt have the best of growing seasons in 2017, i think it was shaded out a little on my balcony...

Nov 2017
IMG_6033 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_6013 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Roots improving
IMG_6031 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

I like the cut back. I normally don't like the cut it shorter for sake of making it short and fat, but in this case it really works. It will be good to see how it looks once you develop a crown of out the two new leaders.

I also really like the pot - both with the tree and as a pot. Who is the potter?

Marty Weiser wrote:I like the cut back. I normally don't like the cut it shorter for sake of making it short and fat, but in this case it really works. It will be good to see how it looks once you develop a crown of out the two new leaders.

I also really like the pot - both with the tree and as a pot. Who is the potter?

Hi Marty, the cut back was more to do with eliminating the lump in the crown which would of gotten worse. i liked the height of the tree before so ill let the leaders extend a bit to make up the lost length or close. ill have to be mindful that area doesnt thicken again
The pot is a custom made one by Steve@China mist http://chinamist.co.uk/

Trees looking very nice!

Wasn't sure about the new top when I first saw it but the more I look the more I like it

Pot is nice as well (although I preferred the first one - I like the contrast between a very dramatic tree and a more restrained pot).

Cheers

Richard

BobbyLane wrote:

Beautiful, outstanding tree.

Old, but not crippled.

Majestic, not "spectacular", if you see what I mean...

@Alain Fair&True.

@Bobby Interesting trunk. There seems to be a number of small "shrubs" growing on this nicely curved trunk. Maybe a little bit too many branches from a single location with a ramification that starts quite close to the trunk? Just my first feelings looking on your tree. Nevertheless it looks natural. There are not many elms around the place I live but it seems this the way they push new growth.
btw Are the tho hollows IMG 5025 and IMG 5033 connected?

Richard S wrote:Trees looking very nice!

Wasn't sure about the new top when I first saw it but the more I look the more I like it

Pot is nice as well (although I preferred the first one - I like the contrast between a very dramatic tree and a more restrained pot).

Cheers

Richard

Cheers Rich, the new crown just needs to develop, looks a bit juvenile atm....some detail carving to do too

AlainK wrote:

BobbyLane wrote:

Beautiful, outstanding tree.

Old, but not crippled.

Majestic, not "spectacular", if you see what I mean...

Of course, there's actually two english elms in this photo, they're the preston twins:

The Preston Twins, the largest and oldest surviving English Elms in all Europe, situated in brighton, england

Btw Alain, they're both hollow

The Preston Twins in Preston Park, Brighton, England, are the two oldest English elms in the world. Both trees are aged over 400 years and exceed 6 metres in girth. They have been regularly pollarded for many years and both trunks are hollow.

Vlad wrote:@Alain  Fair&True.  

@Bobby  Interesting trunk.   There seems to be a number of small "shrubs" growing on this nicely curved trunk.   Maybe a little bit too many branches from a single location with a ramification that starts quite close to the trunk?    Just my first  feelings looking on your tree.  Nevertheless it looks natural.  There are not many elms around the place I live but it seems this the way they push new growth.
btw Are the tho hollows IMG 5025 and  IMG 5033 connected?

Hi Vlad, yep this one is a work in process...the stump on the left is feeding the roots below it so that area will not be changed, i think all the stumps are placed nicely and over time i should get more swelling in the base. the small hollow at the back will be improved as i think it could be more convincing to my eye. nope the hollows are not joined currently.
I plan to do some detailing work so will update soon