Developing shohin from cut down stock

bonsaial1

This weekend was the exhibit of the Fresno Bonsai Society at the Shin Zen Japanese Garden. The exhibit is an outdoor affair and pictures do not show up very well. I have taken them before of the exhibit only to be dissapointed when I get home and view the images.

This thread has more to do with a piece of stock I found at the club sale tables. I spoted the tree rather early this morning. I was not able to be there yesterday since I have used literaly every weekend for bonsai since January. This weekend was not officially on my calendar so I decided to take my wife to the coast before I leave for Texas friday.

What I found was a great little Ulmus Alata, winged elm. It is not from these parts, being more common back in the southeast. The gentleman I purchased it from did not remember how he came to own it, but that he had owned for a while. The seller, Bob Wright, immediately came over to me as soon as I picked it up. He knew exactly what I was going to do with it. After I pointed out some features, he mentioned that if it did not sale he was going to makes some cuts on it. I did not purchase it right away.

A few hours later I noticed it was still there. I decided to pick it up for purchase and began scratching around at the base. I gave the guy the money quick. $25.00 later I showed Bob what was going on under the soil. The trunk flared an additional half an inch in about half an inch of trunk height. We were both amazed.

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bonsaial1

The picture above of the hills is the coast range I drive thru to get to the Pacific. This area known as the Carizo Plain is where the San Andreas Fault is found. My wife and I found peace for a weekend day at the beach. The water was azure blue and not usually this color.

I began by taking off the large leader that made up the upper part of the tree. Turning the trunk about 20 degrees to the left shows a better angle on the flare of the trunk as well as highlighting the movement in the trunk.

Additional pruning left me with a single leader to pull energy to the upper part of the trunk. This should bud back prefusely and I can start to pick leaders and branches at that time. These plants grow much harder than a Chinese Elm. They are pretty much a scourage in the south invadeing clear lots where oil is taken. They develop fruit each year and birds scatter the seeds easily. If one is nearby in your neighborhood you will have seedlings in any small patch of bare dirt, like most elms.

The dimensions of this small elm are 5 inches tall by 1 3/4 inches across at the soil line. This should make an interesting tree for my shohin collection. I have found that my interest has turned from junipers to more deciduous fare. I find them much faster to develop and actually more challenging

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bonsaial1

Other small Shohin projects that I am working on are with maples. I picked up this large trident maple with a huge base on it. The original tree was about a foot tall and the base is 3 inches across at soil line. The top of the tree had an hour glass place in it with a perfect shohin maple there. I decided to layer that portion off. I should be taking this tree off in about 60 more days.

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irene_b

What a little "rough jewel" you have found Al!
No doubts this will be show ready in a short order under your care!
Where ya going to be in Texas?
Irene

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bonsaial1

This Japanese mountain maple is just screaming to be layered off. I keep stock around like this for a year or two sometimes due to the fact that there are no branches below the important part of the tree. This allows me to use it for demo's at club meetings and things like that. It is very hard to see sometimes when all the branches get in the way.


This small elm was layered off two years ago and is coming along pretty well. The base is starting to flare a little and pruning scars are beginning to heal over. I could do this faster in a large container but then I would lose the structure that I sought to preserve.

This hornbeam was layered off about 4 years ago. It too is really starting to come around and the trunk gets better and better since it has better roots now.

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bonsaial1

Thanks Irene,
Arlington, Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Comming to see my 86 year old Grandmother and Uncle. I have not seen my Gma for 9 years. I am sure this will be my final goodbye. I want to make it a living one. She does not know my sisters and I are coming so this will be a big surprise. Kind of a whirlwind trip Friday thru Monday, just four days.

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TimD

Really nice. Theres just something special about taking the design down to this level.

Enjoy your trip.

irene_b

Four days is plenty of time to make more wonderful memories for you both!
Enjoy your sweet time together and remember to pack shorts and t-shirts (It is still hot as hell in Texas!) don't forget the sunblock 4000!
Irene

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bonsaial1

Don't worry Irene, Texas holds no grip on hot weather. I get plenty of that for months at a time!

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