Elm for critique

[aussie4bonsai]

I have had this elm for 3 years and when I bought this elm from nursery it was root bound in a 200mm pot,
After cutting most of the roots off and reducing the trunk in height I have just let it grow and given it a trim when needed.
Last August I did some root grafting around the base and today while I was giving it its first trim I thought it would be a good time to get serious about its design.

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Front

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Right side

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Back

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other side

[Bougy Fan]

Hi A4B
I actually like the last photo as the front - it doesn't have that huge chop scar showing and except for the lowest branch the branching is better in my opinion. The front as it is now seems to have a few branches coming out at you. What kind of elm is it ?

Tony

[Jamie]

hi mate

I actually see a couple of trees in this one, the base is really nice and would make for a great shohin and the top would make for an interesting tree in itself aswell.

would you consider the big chop and rebuild?

jamie

[aussie4bonsai]

Hi A4B
I actually like the last photo as the front - it doesn't have that huge chop scar showing and except for the lowest branch the branching is better in my opinion. The front as it is now seems to have a few branches coming out at you. What kind of elm is it ?

Tony

Hi Tony
Yes the back would make a good front and the bottom branch could be removed as it is one of the weakest.
I have a number of branches around the scar and one or two will have to be removed.
I think it is a Chinese Elm
Barry

[aussie4bonsai]

hi mate

I actually see a couple of trees in this one, the base is really nice and would make for a great shohin and the top would make for an interesting tree in itself aswell.

would you consider the big chop and rebuild?

jamie

Hi Jamie
I should have put the size in height 300mm width 400mm.
The only problem with reducing the height is the trunk it doesn’t have much taper.
Barry

[Webos]

Looking at the photo of the right side, I see an instant Bonsai if you took the top out of the tree.

[Jamie]

gday barry

I have done a quick mudmap and a quick little virt for you of what I see could be done with the base, it doesnt matter that it doesnt have much movement for what I would personally do with the tree, it has some great potential for a shohin size tree and makes it easier on the back

mudmap for aussie4bonsai.jpg

this is the part of the tree that I would use, you could airlayer the top of at one or two points, I dont like to waste when there is some potential in a tree if I am going to chop its head off

virt for aussie4bonsai elm.jpg

this is what I have envisiged for the tree, great base and with a low chop or the air layer it will back bud freely, then you could select a new shot and wire in movement, then grow it out to get the taper flowing. branching would be simple enough to get in the right spots, if it didnt pop new buds where you want them I have the confidence in your grafting ability

jamie

[kcpoole]

I actually like the first pic as a front, but tilted about 20 deg to the left
Lower the Right brach to be more level, and remove the lowest left branch.

To me this make a nice elegant tree, with OK taper and OK movement too

Regrow the foliage to suit the new shape and you may even have to graft a root or 2 on the left hand side

Ken

[amazonida]

hi, critique: you are classifing the front the wrong way. the apex have to bow you(i mean, the bonsai have to bow the people who see it! not the oposite "falling down" the way it is.
i like the composition did by Jamie. try to see more movement on the front, got it?

[aussie4bonsai]

Thanks for everyone’s input.

This morning I sat down with the elm and looked at all the possibilities and one thing is certain I have to do something about the top.
First I thought about defoliating the tree so you could see more of the structure and problems.
The five branches around the scar shows signs of a negative taper, I was looking at removing one or two or the five and then realized that now might not be a good time seeing that I root grafted in August and it would be best to keep as much growth as possible.
So I will repot into a bigger container and this coming winter I will start the new shape.
This is what the base looked like in August.

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[Jamie]

hi mate

seeing that the root work is still fresh I would wait aswell until you go on with its styling side of things

[aussie4bonsai]

Elm’s up date today’s photos
It’s been in this foam box 21months since the last post.

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I will use the live root next September.

[bodhidharma]

Coming along nicely. Which do you see as your viewing front.

[aussie4bonsai]

Coming along nicely. Which do you see as your viewing front.

I like the first photo for the front but I am not committed to it.
I have a few problems with the tree, negative taper the main one.
I could even V- cut the trunk.
This spring is D-day, D for do it.
Here is a 2005 photo.

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