all my elm trees

my post in the bonsai forum has ran its course..I would like for someone that is close to my climent to make a suggestion on them please...Jun and Khaimraj did some nice sketches and comments but they are in the tropics where 1 year will equal 5 or so here...thanks very much for your time..i know they are not the best but you work with what you have...........thanks john in w. virgenia

John,
Jun and Khaimraj have offered you some nice options for your trees, and some nice sketches as well. If you don't want to take it as far as creating a penjing like Jun offered you might try putting one or two of them into the ground or a large wooden grow box. I think you would have better and faster success with developing branches and healing scars. The tree with the dead wood running up the side I think would really benefit from some free growth with ample rooting space. This would cause the live vein on the tree to swell and become more prominent on the tree and you could gain some branch girth as well. Most elms are reasonably fast growers and I think that through field growing or at least in large container you could achieve results closer to what Jun and Khaimraj describe. Leave one in a grow box for a season or two and work on its development there and when it is close to where you want it then move it to the bonsai pot the next spring, if you like the results try it with the others

The last tree pictured in your previous post looks to be the best developed and I think if you aim toward the sketch offered and pull down a few branches with guy wires you could have a really nice tree that moves away from the "s" shaped "mallsai"(no offense meant) look.

Also You may embark on a serious feeding regime next season. I don't know what your current methods are but Walter Pall has a great article about feeding, watering, and substrate.

Todd

Thank you Todd for your responce..the small tree ,dead wood,i plan to put in a grow box in the spring..in order to pull those branches down i will have to knotch the bottom,,they are very stiff!! that tree is the best one i have.. i do like those sketches and would like the trees to look like that... would a 12 by 12 box be big enough?? lifting is my problem thank you john

John,
What is the size of the current pot and tree? I usually use plastic nursery pots, but wooden boxes tend to breathe better and allow better air flow for the roots. Flat and wide would be best to encourage root spread. Size is dependent on the tree, how long it will stay in the box, and the drainage, and of course your ability to move it.

Here's the WP article about feeding your trees:

http://walterpallbonsaiarticles.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeding-substrate-and-watering-english.html

Todd

THANKS TODD,,I copyed this down so I WON,T forget what to do..i will put the small tree in a grow box for sure...the others i will work on branch placement and try to get them to spread out and shorten the apex on most of them...thanks so much john