After my first month of fertilizing the Chinese Elm, this is what it looks like in mid June.
The trunk of the tree is barely visible.
Few other branches are even discernable. There are so many leaves. Stems are stretching out endlessly in all directions.
From above, the soil underneath is completely blocked out by the canopy of leaves. Rainfall cannot possibly reach the roots when a tree is this overgrown.
It's Trimming Time!
Here's the pile of leaves and stems I pruned off.
Mostly, I just cleaned up the tree.
Shorten the stems to a couple leaf nodes. Remove growth appearing between junctions. Remove old and dying wood wood and leaves. Remove branches from 3-way or 4-way whorls, leaving only 2-way branches that form Y's.
The basic design of the natural tree becomes visible.
With many of the over-sized leaves removed, the smaller leaves become green dots, filling in the spaces. A clearer outline for the entire foliage is made into one cohesive unit.
Light and rain can now spill through freely into the wide open spaces between the leaves. The branches and trunk will be reinvigorated to continue producing new growth to fill the voids. The roots will be replenished with heavenly mana.
Life is looking good for my Chinese Elm.
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. We have quite a few accredited experts filling out our ranks, and a helpful Spanish-speaking community.
Bonsai!
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