Big ol Layer

Will, awesome trunk! Congratulations!

Best,

Andrei

Hello Kev. I'm not sure whether it's the warmth of the sun or the light. Cut down any tree and the growth rings will be bigger on the sunny side. I imagine because the branches grow stronger on the sunny side, so do the roots. With airlayers in the ground, try experimenting with cutting back the foliage or leaf pruning on the sunny side. Alternatively, try a mirror on the back.

Just an update of the Elm. Fed well and growing strongly. I'm not worried about leaf size as they will reduce in time.

Anyone sceptical about feeding strongly every watering, here's the pudding.

Some extensions are 2 feet long (600mm). Leaf pruned, wire removed and extensions left to fatten up further

The front again.

Great tree you have found!!! only thing i think we should trade!!!! good work take care john

Thanks John. What did you have in mind?

Hi,

How is this elm going on?

Hello Rui. I will update this Elm in the next couple of days.

Looking forward to see the autumn colors.

No Autumn colours with this one Rui.One of the reasons for posting was to show how to really fatten up the branches. This tree was wired from top to bottom and the wire was left for a whole season. The wire cut quite heavily in places but this guarantees that the branch will stay in position. Once the wire was removed, the branches were then allowed to extend all season. This will continue into 2012/13 as well

Once the branch has reached the right proportion for the tree, the extension growth/sacrifice branch will be pruned back. As most trees are apically dominant and the top branches will always grow thicker than the bottom, this technique of allowing unchecked sacrificial branches can be used at any time.

A close up of the inside of this tree. Wonderful deadwood don't you think? Finally, wishing you a very happy new year and good health to you all.

will baddeley wrote:Once the branch has reached the right proportion for the tree, the extension growth/sacrifice branch will be pruned back. As most trees are apically dominant and the top branches will always grow thicker than the bottom, this technique of allowing unchecked sacrificial branches can be used at any time.

Hi will,

Thanks for this thread. I am learning alot. One question, Could one do the same for the secondary branches i.e let them grow unchecked to develop them, while developing the main branch at the same time? I imagine there would be branches crossing over everywhere and very messy.

What is the increament in branch diameter in a single year for these elms?

Is there some ratio used to determine the ideal branch diameter relative to the trunk?

Your threads are very educational, I have gone through them and you have made me see deadwood in a new light. I love your carving work and dead wood creation.

Thanks.

Hi attwass,

This http://bonsaijournal.com/elm-pinching.php will show you how to proced.

Thank you all.

nice tree,thank.

attwass wrote:
Hi will,

Thanks for this thread. I am learning alot. One question, Could one do the same for the secondary branches i.e let them grow unchecked to develop them, while developing the main branch at the same time? I imagine there would be branches crossing over everywhere and very messy.

What is the increament in branch diameter in a single year for these elms?

Is there some ratio used to determine the ideal branch diameter relative to the trunk?

Your threads are very educational, I have gone through them and you have made me see deadwood in a new light. I love your carving work and dead wood creation.

Thanks.

Hello Atwass and thank you.
I find it better to concentrate on the thickness of the Primary branch first before the secondary branches. Allowing the Primary to extend to gain thickness and then cutting back to a smaller secondary branch. This in turn will then become the next section of the primary branch at the same time as building taper.
The amount of wood a branch will put on depends on how well it's fed and how long it is allowed to extend. The first year from shoot may be slow but in subsequent years the branch will get longer and stronger.
The ratio of branch to trunk can vary enormously. A bonsai styled as a relatively young looking tree should have proportionately smaller branches than that of a veteran tree. The trunk on this Elm has a diameter of 12"/300mm and could easily support lower branches in excess of 1"/25mm.

will baddeley wrote:
The amount of wood a branch will put on depends on how well it's fed and how long it is allowed to extend. The first year from shoot may be slow but in subsequent years the branch will get longer and stronger.

Thank you for the explanation Will. I know you feed your trees at every watering and in that way growth is optimum. Would you then stop feeding the tree so vigorously when you are quite close to achieving the finished secondary branch structure? I would imagine that one would want to enjoy the ideal image for as long as possible before loosing that image to overgrown secondary branches. And when you have now reached the stage where the secondary branches are almost the same thickness as the primary branches what do you do?

I would also imagine that after attaining the appropriate primary branch thickness one would stop feeding so vigorously in shohin bonsai, am I correct?

The ronseal wet rot wood hardener that you apply to the deadwood, how frequent is the application, how many coats and is there any regime you follow before application (like sanding or something like that) or do you just paint it on?

Thank you.