AusBonsai

How well do Chinese elms bud/bloom back after cutting back hard?

they should push strong vigourous growth mate, depending on what time of the year it is and your location.

if you prune in winter when it is out of leaf you can see where you are going and what it is going to do as elm are quite predictable, you shouldnt get new shoots but it will back bud well when it leafs out. if you prune during the growing months you will find it should come back hard and with lots of options.

feed the tree well and you will be rewarded too.


jamie

Craig there is a post of mine here showing how well they bud from losing the whole top of the tree. It starts as an OH bugger moment and carrys though.

To where it is today .

Cheers Pup

I 'pruned' a 45cm high elm to 10cm leaving nothing but trunk. Within 3 weeks I had the new lowest branch from nothing to 30cm long, several inappropriate branchlets that I removed and 3 starters jostling to become the new leader. Fast!! I'll say they are fast. And the point of all this? I bought at a giveaway price a nicely developed elm with a shapely trunk far too thin for the height. I bought an elm with small, plain leaves. What did I really get when the tree got an infusion of food and water? A silver edged elm with a leaf size that will have to be rigorously controlled for the size tree I want. But elms are simply great for anyone, especially beginners as they are forgiving and fast developers.