The January 6 entry for this blog shows the development an American hackberry, Celtis occidentalis. Today’s entry is another species of this genus, the Chinese hackberry, Celtis sinensis.
January 19, 2018:
The tree today.
The tree upon arrival from Wigert’s nursery, Florida.
The tree in January with no new growth yet. This would have been a good time to begin selecting branches I wanted to keep and those to eliminate.
Abundant spring growth.
The tree 13 months after purchase. Began eliminating unwanted branches.
Spring growth.
Over two years since purchase.
Bare-rooted, first time since purchased in 2012.
Root- and branch-pruned, repotted.
Spring growth.
Tree in late fall.
Tree in winter after branch-pruning.
Spring.
Second flush of growth.
End of growing season.
January 15, 2017:
The tree about two years ago, partially wired.
February 11, 2017:
Bare-rooted.
February 11, 2017:
Root-pruned.
March 4, 2017:
Removal of major branch on inside of bend.
November 26, 2017:
Some inverse taper in middle of trunk.
January 6, 2018:
Bare-rooted.
January 6, 2018:
Root-pruned.
January 6, 2018:
Tree on new soil.
January 6, 2018:
Tree repotted.
March 3, 2018:
New growth.
beginBonsai 
Reblogged this on Wolf's Birding and Bonsai Blog.
LikeLike
I’m curious on your choices to root prune once the leaves are already out. I’m also curious why you decided to bare root each time?
LikeLike
As a generalization I try to root prune just before the leaves come out but the new leaves on this chinese hackberry in some years overlap with the previous year’s leaves so there is no time without any leaves. On bare-rooting, I will probably stop doing this once the tree matures a bit. I watched a Ryan Neil soils video in which he talked about developing the “sheen” (spelling?) at the root base of a bonsai that is not bare-rooted during repots. At some point hopefully my trees will be at that stage.
LikeLiked by 1 person