Chinese Elm--What would YOU do?

[Bebbas]

Just looking for ideas and all the expert views out there on this little darling.

Am I heading in the right direction?

Happy Australia Day everybody!

[k2bonsai]

For my mind the tree is about twice as tall as i would think suits the trunk. If it were my tree i would air layer the top off, bring the overall height down, look for a new leader and tree to get some backbudding for branches further down the trunk. my first woul be a right branch on that nice curve if you could luck upon it budding there....

but then i am a newbie so take my ideas with the limited experience it comes with.

[Bebbas]

Here's another pic. Not the greatest light at night but I wanted to give you all some scale.

Cheers

Bebbas

[k2bonsai]

much better pic to see from. Aftervseeing this i would go drastic and trunk chop just below the straight part of the trunk and continue those beautiful curves with some nice new taper.

[Bebbas]

Thanks K2, appreciate the critique. Will certainly look at that angle.

[bodhidharma]

I would like to see the other three sides before a decision is made. A preferred front can sometimes inhibit a correct decision for the improvement of a tree. I would not be to hasty to chop it

[GavinG]

The trunk is certainly tall and slender, but that's not necessarily bad. It has a lot of bends and complications that make it interesting, and it would be a pity to lose them, just because the fashion nowadays is for short thick trees. I think the problem may be that the branches don't relate to the trunk all that well, they're just "there". The trunk isn't straight, but the branches are.

Maybe try to lean the trunk over one way or another - that might give it a stronger sense of direction. Then select fewer branches, but bend them quite strongly, give them angles like the trunk. Possibly shorten them, to make the trunk look stronger.

It's a good problem to think about. Like Bodhi, I'd like to see it in 3D before I made too many decisions. When you repot it in winter, pick up the trunk and hold it at all different angles, and rotate it to see if there is one position that looks better than others. Then harmonise the branches to the trunk angles.

Good luck. Thanks for posting.

Gavin

[k2bonsai]

The problem i have is that the tree is about 14x the base diameter. Sure it is ok to break rules in the interest of indivuality or art, however from my viewing of many trees i rarely find some that feel natural once you go over 10x the base dia. The problem with this tree as it stands is that even if you were to bring the height of the tree down to somewhere betweek 6-10 x dia, the problem you have is that the first branching won't start until about 2/3 up the trunk of the tree.

I do like all the bends in the tree, but unless you can bulk fatten up the trunk without losing taper or get the tree to backbud below the current lowest branches then you may be stuck on where to go with it. The problem is, because you don't have any really low branches you can't use anything for a sacrifice to fatten up the bottom of the tunk... I put some scales on your tree to show what i am talking about. As someone earlier mentioned also, if you were to wire out the branches then that would also completely change the look of the tree and everything i just said may be uselss information

Just another thought, i wonder if you could change the angle of the tree and do some serious bending of the trunk over a period of time. How do elms go with wrapping in raffia (or electrical tape) and then bending? I have branch benders on my elm trunks at the moment but these appear to be only about 1/2 -2/3 the thichness of your trunk. I did a quick sort of vert by doign just as i mentioned. If you werre to also do similar bend furtehr up the trunk it would change things up drastically and also help reduce the overall height whilst still retaining all those great upper branches.

But please take whatever i say from the point of being a newbie myself.....

[Boics]

My 2c is that if you haven't seen this thread: http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t6174 ... rogression

Then you should....

Really shows where one can go with a Chinese Elm...

Personally I think a layer and a 2 tree option has merit..
I too would like to see some new angles.

[Trent McKenzie]

Wow, amazing progression in the thread there Boics, Pimp My Bonsai.

[GavinG]

K2b, we have a different view of "natural". There are long thin trees in nature, and literati style is all about grace, eccentricity and strong energy. Not everything has to be thick and short. If you fatten the trunk, the curves and angles will flatten out, and just become wobbles. If you chop or layer you lose whatever makes this trunk unique, and maybe get two ordinary trees. I like your idea of increasing the angles in the trunk, but don't fancy your chances with old elm wood.

It will be interesting to see which way the owner goes.

Gavin

[k2bonsai]

you are right that everyone has different tastes... i for one simply don't get literati style and find them really not appealing. That is why i love bonsai, it is true expression of art and individuality but all wrapped up in a core essense that is provided to us by nature Something for everyone. I am not suggesting what the owner should do and i am really interested to see where he takes it. I just responded to the pist line... what would i do

[GavinG]

K2b, I'm constantly grateful to those who post their trees for comment. It's great exercise, and great training for your eyes and your mind. And as you say, each to his own. I just wish that there had been a site like this thirty years ago - it would have saved me many years of stuffing around.

As for literati, they grow on you. Once you've seen a lot of trees all done to a pattern, the occasional mad one that goes off into space, perfectly balanced and graceful, is quite wonderful. I can't do them myself, and I have far too many "pattern" trees, so I really appreciate the sublimely imaginative exceptions.

Now let's see what Bebbas comes up with...

Gavin