7/17/2025
It’s been around seven months since I’ve revisited this water elm project. I’ve been busy juggling life and other things around the nursery. To be honest it’s a good thing that I step away from projects like this for a while so that they have time to grow out.
This tree has grown quite a bit and is back to being very bushy. Notice that this time around that the tree is a little more compact.
This is from carrying a light trimming late spring this year. The wire was removed as well at that time to reduce the wire scaring. I meant to document and make a post about the trim back, but it didn’t seem like a big change had happened yet.
Once you see what the tree looks like trimmed back you will see what I mean. If you look at the branch sizes as compared to the previous picture you can see that they have increased by roughly 15%. It’s enough of a size increase to warrant cutting them back to slow them down. I’m trying to keep the tree on scale at the same time keeping in mind where the finer branches will reach out.
Pictured above: The water after the first styling in 2024.
I pruned back to the first 2-3 nodes on every single branch and shot. This is to guarantee that I will get good bifurcation on each branch.
If you look closely, you can also so the cambium rolling over where I carved the tree. I will refine the deadwood inside of the hollow once the tree is dormant this winter.
Here are all the multiple angles I have available for this tree. Some angles are obviously candidates for the “front” and some for the “back” of the future bonsai. I like to keep my options open on deciduous trees, so I never choose a true “front” until it goes into its first training pot. For now, I am happy with its development thus far.
In the next posts, I will demonstrate how to start with water elm cuttings to grow desirable stock. I have had issues with field growing water elms and the following post will give more incite into how to create quality pre-bonsai.
Also, the older Vaughn Banting water elm I referenced in the earlier post has been located! I had a lovely conversation with its current owner. I will be doing a write up on that tree as well.
-Evan