I’ve been growing this tree from a cutting since 2015. For a post on the mother tree the cutting was taken from see https://beginbonsai.net/2025/04/08/cork-bark-elm-update/.
The tree two days ago.
The planted cutting.
The potting mix I used for the cutting. This was before moving to akadama, pumice, and scoria as my current bonsai mix.
The tree after a year of growth.
Bare-rooted for repotting.
The tree in it’s new pot the following fall. It was probably in my akadama-based potting mix by this point.
The tree was growing well the following spring.
Time to prune some branches.
Rapid growth.
Second pruning of the season.
Season’s greetings. The tree at the end of the year.
Bare-rooted.
Root-pruned and placed back in the same pot.
Repotted.
The tree with a sacrifice branch to thicken the base.
Ready for repotting.
Repotted and removed the sacrifice branch.
Two potential bonsais (the sacrifice branch cutting didn’t survive).
Good growth the following spring.
Branch-pruned.
Presto!
Another branch-pruning.
Winter silhouette.
Fixed it!
New growth.
The tree beginning to approximate its current shape. The two lower branches coming from the same location were left on to thicken the base. The smallest of these (right side from this view) was removed on September 5, 2024.
After more pruning and growing to thicken the trunk.
Root-pruned.
New, smaller pot.
Removed from the smaller pot the following year.
Planted into an Arakawa pot purchased from Bonsaify.
The tree the following winter.
Another repot.
Removed and potted a lower branch and large root.
The tree from the current back side.
The tree from the current front side.
The back side of the tree two days ago.
The right side of the tree two days ago.
The left side of the tree two days ago.
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