Welcome Friends,
Today is a bright sunny day, and I am returning to share my Chinese Elm tree.
In this article, I'll be detailing a full four-seasons update on this tree, since it hasn't seen any light here on Hive in that much time. I'll take you through the highs and lows this tree experienced over the year, and the victorious ending I promise you'll love.
For those of you new to my articles, welcome! I post regular updates on trees like this one, grown in bonsai form. Bonsai is simply the art of growing trees in small pots. For me, bonsai is not an endeavor to maintain expensive museum pieces according to strict rules and traditions, but rather it opens doors, allowing me grow a wide variety of many artistic trees in a small yard.
November 11, 2022
Last fall, this tree was looking Peachy Keen. Everything was looking great with our extended cool sunshine late into Autumn. Leaves were looking dark green and healthy, and it had been pushing out new leaves all season long.
Historical Info About This Tree:
ID: 0005
Nickname: Peach
Type: Chinese Elm
Age: 9 years today (8 years in the cover photos)
Grown: cutting
Last repotting: November 16, 2022
Wired: never
Repotting
The tree had not been repotted since 2017, so I decided it was overdue to check on the roots.
The coarse roots were fully removed, leaving a thick sponge of the small feeder roots. I was happy to see such a full root array, but they are looking a little crazy. Roots are difficult to train, as you will see later on.
After replanting it over the rock, it looks relatively the same as before, with some refurbished soil.
Notice the lowest leaves. They are actually growing from a branch on a separate tree, planted in a way to make it look like it is part of the same tree. Originally that branch was a root that snapped off the main tree, and continued to grow leaves on its own.
February 11, 2022
After cold temperatures in December, and a few snow days, January warmed up a whole bunch offering plenty of sun.
It spent a month inside my mini greenhouse, until I noticed leaves were regrowing, and mold was starting to coat the bark because of the humid air.
This might have messed up its dormancy protection against the cold. I removed it from the greenhouse and buried it under the bark with the walls of the house protecting it from weather and wind.
March 9, 2022
The buds had swollen, and the leaves look like they are ready to pop open with life. With the sunshine, and temperatures on the rise, I decided to unbury most of my trees. I think they will benefit from the full sun while temperatures are in the mid 30's at night and 60's during the day.
April 11, 2022
Oh boy!
Mistakes happen. Snow in April? Who would have guessed? A minor setback, to say the least.
May 14, 2022
While the lower branch has exploded into the life, the primary tree looks unchanged. The buds are no longer swollen, and I fear something is wrong with the tree.
The only way to find out is to dig up the tree and see what is going on with the roots and soil.
My plan is to check on it in a week, and if it has made no progress, then it will get the works.
May 20, 2022
Yikes! It looks pretty dead, doesn't it? Let's find out.
Even though the tree has not been watered in a few weeks, the soil appears to be perpetually wet. This could be due to the moss that has grown in, the silty mud from the rain that has filtered in through the rocks, or more likely from organic fertilizers that haven't fully broken down.
After gently crumbling off the wet exterior soil, it is apparent that the soil is not draining enough water.
The only healthy white roots are coming from the secondary tree, where those roots were benefitted by the impermeable basalt rock wall. Sometimes a smooth surface is the only thing capable of draining water quickly during a season of torrential rains.
After removing all of the desiccated roots, and the overly wet soil, this is all that was left.
Although these roots were thick on the main tree, to me they did not appear healthy, in comparison to the secondary tree roots.
So I went deeper, and really went overboard and removed all the roots. I went so far with the cutting, until I could see green wood inside the cut marks. This is the only way I can be certain the tree is even alive.
The green rings around the thick cuts indicate a major growth node. These clean cuts will send an emergency signal to the tree to repair the damage, and fill in with new tissue, and hopefully new roots.
Since the tree does have two other very thick side roots remaining, I decide to replant the tree with those roots buried more deeply.
Chinese Elms are reputed to root very easily from cuttings, so I will be putting this tree to the most extreme test to learn its capabilities.
With a bit of wire, I bind the trunk down tightly to prevent it from moving and to hold the tree in a nice looking position. The less the tree rocks in the soil from the wind and water, the more likely the roots will set.
Here it is after replanting. It looks better than before, but I'll have to be patient and see what develops.
June 18, 2022
Miracles do come true.
Signs of life!
After noticing that the trunk looked very white, in early June I decided to tie some moss around the bark.
This caused an immediate healing effect on the tree. The bark started to turn green. The moss was also shielding the tree from sun burn during a recent heat wave. When I water the tree, the moss also absorbs water and helps feed the pores of the tree for most of the day.
This was a very unexpected success. Trying new things by experimenting with new techniques has really shown me how to unlock new potential in this tree.
July 2, 2022
Here we are, three seasons later from the first photos above.
The branches are full grown with leaves appearing from every bud, and extending branches into new directions.
Next, I'll give it its first pruning of the year to shorten the elongated straight branches.
This is great time to prune, as it will redistribute growth energy throughout the tree, to get greens growing all over. The tree should heal quickly because it is exhibiting so many signs of strong health.
Conclusion
How many of you thought the tree was dead half-way through these photos? After April and May I was worried it might be a goner too.
Thankfully, I can keep taking care of this tree and share updates with you all.
Stay with me, and I'll return with more updates and insights on my various bonsai trees.
Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth, unless stated otherwise.
Find me on discord and chat with other tree growers, bonsai enthusiasts, and gardeners.
Post Beneficiaries:
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This is my way of thanking each of you for your friendship and support. By sharing my talents on Hive, I can also share to help with your needs.
Let my success also grant you some happiness too.
Back from the dead 🙂 Amazing. Great photos and narrative. I was interested to see you dig the elm up. Sometimes action is required not patience. I am always impressed by your patience haha.
I recently started gardening (I've always wanted to learn bonsai, but the elements are not easy to get where I live) anyways, one of the first things that shocked me about gardening is how a plant that seemed to be dead came back to life after considerable time and a lot of attention.