AusBonsai

Hi All,

I hope you are having a great day.

I have a chinese elm I have been sitting on for a while and would love to get some advice regarding a significant prune / chop. I have let it grow basically uncontrolled for a while now and I think it might be time to chop it down significantly, but have a few options. From the base of the pot it is about 70cm high. I have some other shots with measure for scale.

'Front' of the tree
Back of the tree - can see branching better here
Left side
Right side
Base of the tree
Base of tree - thickness
Right side trunk:

The left trunk forks and I was considering chopping above the fork, which I think would look okay: I am also considering removing everything down to the level below: I think it would make sense to chop and leave the three trunks as above. But I am wondering what you guys think? There is not a whole lot of movement which I think is a limitation. But i'm not sure I can do too much about that.

Your Chinese elm appears to be the variety known as Seiju. It has smaller leaves than the normal type but also tends to grow very straight shoots.

It will respond to hard pruning very well so don't be frightened to cut as low as you wish.
I put most of the bends into Seiju by pruning. Chop just above a side shoot growing at the desired angle and you have achieved a bend AND much needed taper in the trunk. It can take a few years of repeated chop and grow to develop an entire trunk this way but the results are usually vastly better than wired bends.
My recommendation for the first chop would be at around 1/3 the height you plan the finished tree to be, possibly a little lower depending what side shoots you have available.

The left trunk forks and I was considering chopping above the fork, which I think would look okay:

You obviously know which fork you mean but its a bit ambiguous to us as there are a number of forks on this tree. My initial cuts would be above the lowest fork maybe 10cm from soil then develop new trunks and branches in a series of grow and chop cycles but that will mean a few more years to regrow new structure and you may not be ready for that.

I think it would make sense to chop and leave the three trunks as above. But I am wondering what you guys think? There is not a whole lot of movement which I think is a limitation. But i'm not sure I can do too much about that.

I agree that the straight trunks will be limiting the design. There is something you can do - see above but if a low chop is too radical you could leave the main trunk longer where the tape is shown but definitely chop the smaller right trunk less than half that high and the left branch quite short.
Always remember that trees usually grow larger so initial chops need to be substantially lower than finished height to allow the new canopy to grow. Chopping the main trunk at 30 cm will probably result in a bonsai at least 40 cm tall, probably more. consider how that will look with a 3cm thick base.