Chinese elm called club foot

[Paulneill]

I got this Chinese elm that has had a lot of time spent in it as a bonsai but the previous owner didn’t cut it back enough and has a few issues this has been trunk chopped at least 3 times.
Each time not hard enough

The tree has 3 main issues

Worst one, straight trunk, I see this as the biggest flaw because it can’t really be fixed.

2nd the roots, there is 3 massive long roots poking out at different heights.

3rd issue the trunks divide at the top like a catapult.


Ok so I guess my only big question is should I air layer this? I’m worried about it rotting up through the trunk. But I think it has to be done. Maybe if I put it in the ground for 2 years the roots would callous over a bit and prevent rotting.


I Will also have to remove one of the trunks which will leave a large wound. Chinese elm heal well don’t they ?

And critics welcomed. What would you do if it were yours?

[Paulneill]

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[Ryceman3]

I think the worst issue you have is the roots. Sure the trunk is pretty straight, but it has pretty reasonable taper from what I can see in the pics and I think it could be used to make something nice. The roots on the other hand look unsalvagable.
I would be looking to ground layer at the red line ... maybe even slightly higher up the trunk if you want a smaller tree and use the green as the framework, there might be other branching worth holding onto also, but this would be the basic bones I would want to utilise. You may even consider layering on an angle if you want to enhance some movement ... up to you.

Healthy Chinese elm will recover from just about anything, big chops healing over included. I'd be looking to get the tree super healthy over the next 6 months or so, ready for some big work in spring.

Elm.jpg

[KIRKY]

Agree with R3 pull it out of that pot and just ground layer it into a big plastic pot. Chinese Elms root readily.
As for the top you can trim back all the twiggy bits defoliate and then push the liquid feed to force more shooting of growth. Once you get more growth it will be easier to pick what you want to keep. If you keep trimming back the top you could force lower growth. If you get lower growth that you want to keep, let it grow out and extend to the thickness you want then cut back to style. In the mean time don’t allow the top to extend any further maintain by clipping back regularly. Your looking at a few years before you get something special, whatever you do.
Cheers
Kirky.

[shibui]

Foliage looks a bit weak and tired. Probably the result of poor nutrition and low water in a small (relative) pot.
The others have recommended larger container to get it growing well and that's probably the easiest option. It could take off after a repot (not now) and root prune into the same pot with better water and feed. Either way I think getting it healthy is a great start so feed well and increase the water for the rest of summer I would actually allow it to grow untrimmed this summer just to boost health and vitality. More leaves = happier tree.

Straight trunk is not actually a bad thing for elm. Broom is their natural style and broom style should have a straight and vertical trunk so you are well on the way to a broom style Chinese elm.
easiest way to fix the roots is start again as suggested by R3. Ground layer is easier than air layer and you could actually start that this season if you want to. Build a collar around the trunk to hold potting soil and go for it. By next spring you should have good roots ready to remove the old base.

There's no real scale in the photos so you will need to decide how far up to layer to give the right trunk proportions.

Not sure which of the upper branches to keep or remove but I'd keep more than 1 for the broom branching. The smaller branches are long without any side shoots so they should eventually be chopped quite short to get more ramification. Most new shoots will grow from the end of cuts in Chinese elm so cut where you want the branches to start.

Work on this one as a long term plan rather than an immediate makeover.

[Paulneill]

I put an air layer on today. I used 70% akadama and 30% spagnum moss. Put the moss on the bottom and top and kept it away from directly touching the tree.


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[Paulneill]

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[tgward]

Ive found those ugly elm sausage shaped flat roots hard to avoid-- been trying to hide them on mine by making them enter the soil (steeper angle) more quickly. Less flare but looks better. I'm obviously too late to suggest an air layer just below the first branch to get a shorter twin trunk and a large stump for a broom style.

[Paulneill]

Thanks guys for all the input. I will keep this one posted in the future to get some advice and keep this one headed in the right direction.