Advice on Elm - Thickening Trunk

[jospeh]

Hey Guys,

I'm quite new to the art of bonsai. I've had this elm for a little under a year now (pretty sure it's a Chinese Elm?? ), and I'm just leaving it to thicken up for now. At the moment the trunk is about half a centimetre thin, and I'm only doing very light pinchinng to prevent the branches from growing too long.

AusBonsai-Elm.jpg

Does anyone have any suggestions for this tree? Should I just keep it growing or should I think about wiring or restructuring now?

Any help much appreciated.



Thanks,

Jospeh

[Andrew E]

You can wire for a bit of shape in that straight trunk and leave it alone for a few seasons. Take the wire off just as it starts to dig in. Feed heaps and plenty of sun, or
You could just leave it to grow untouched for a season, then cut back to a low branch and repot at a different angle, let go for a season or two then cut back again to another branch further up creating taper and movement.
If you want to thicken it up quickly put it in the ground. Don't worry about branching at the moment, with elms they bud easily off old wood so you'll have little problems when the time comes for branch selection.
Food and sun.
Cheers
Andrew

[shibui]

Welcome to bonsai Joseph,

Andrew's points are all correct but it will help you if you have half a plan for this tree.
What style are you hoping to create? elms are best as informal upright or broom style.
What sized tree are you hoping to end up with - height, trunk thickness at the base?
The answers to these questions will help determine the best way to proceed with this tree.

You will also need to be aware that not all trees that are fast grown end up as good bonsai. A small proportion are just hopeless, many will produce just reasonable tree but only a few end up as really good bonsai.

[jospeh]

Thanks Guys,

Shibui - I'm thinking informal upright, ideally I'd like a really nice think trunk with good taper and a nice large primary branch. The tree is about 30 - 40cm in height and I dont think id like it to be much taller.

I'm not really fussed on how fast it grows I guess, how long do chinese elms take to thicken up if just left in a pot?

Cheers

[shibui]

That's valuable additional info Joseph.
The first branch on this tree looks like it would make a good continuation of the trunk after the first bend. Eventually, after it has thickened the lower trunk a bit the rest of the existing trunk will be cut off. When this bit of trunk is cut off you should get lots of buds from that spot. Most will be removed and one kept to make a first branch.
Informal upright trunk should emerge from the ground at an angle, not vertical so now is the time to lean that trunk over a bit. Easiest way is to attach some wire or twine to the rim of the pot and the other end to the trunk maybe 5 or 10 cm up so that it pulls the trunk over a bit. I'd start off leaning the trunk about 30degrees.
Because that first branch is going to be the trunk, lean the lower trunk away from the side the first branch is on.

Hope this makes some sense. Its hard to explain without showing and I'm not clever enough yet to do a virt with your picture

[kcpoole]

Is the is something like you mean Shibui?
Leant over at 20deg and the straight section of trunk chopped off ( i would do thins next year so it can thicken the lower section)

Ken

[shibui]

Thanks KC. That's what will be done in a year or 2. For now the trunk just needs to be pulled across to that angle while the roots and pot stay horizontal.

[NaturalSelection]

Hey Joseph,
Its a thin little fella ya got there! I got two C.elm starters that were a little thicker than yours about 14 months ago. With them i attempted my first ground planting... they grew strong all year!, the trunks went from about 10 to 30mm in 6 months easy! All i did was let a sacrifice branch grow very large from about 70mm up the trunk. i roughly pruned everything else every now and then.. From my results i really recommend finding a place to ground plant yours.

This is a sacrifice branch i removed from one of my elms in preparation for its return to a pot.

after sacrifice branch cut 02.JPG

They grow like weeds! And also make amazing bonsai!

good luck
NS

[shibui]

Its not a very pretty virt but i'd try to achieve something like this for now (hopefully the roots will stay in the potting mix while the trunk bends over at ground level).

virt.png

Feed it as much as you dare and keep the water up to it so it grows as much as possible this summer.
Bare root and rearrange the roots in winter and maybe cut back to that first branch if the base of the trunk has thickened enough.

[jospeh]

wow guys thanks for all the photoshopping.. I think i know what you mean...

So just plant it at a 30 degree angle and just let it grow like that for a 2 seasons before cutting back to the first branch?

[shibui]

Leave the roots where they are in the pot. Just bend the trunk of the tree over a bit (the black line in my last virt was meant to be a string or wire to hold the trunk at the angle until it sets into position) then you're correct, just feed and water it really well and let it grow for the rest of the year.