weird elm neighbor was discarding. Any hope?

LindaPat

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Elms are pretty tough.
You'll likely have one with a gnarly base --> could make a great, powerful sumo-ish shohin, IMHO.
chop it where the smaller branch comes off the main trunk? then chop the smaller branch a little higher?
 

0soyoung

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chop it where the smaller branch comes off the main trunk? then chop the smaller branch a little higher?
Ultimately all the big branch with the littler branch would be gone. One might have to progressively cut back to get the buds to pop around the collar where that biggie comes from the 'knot'. Once that has happened, I would then work with those new sprouts - they can be easily wired and will set fairly quickly. Develop some interesting naked branches from these and continually hedge prune (leaves will readily become itty bitty).

Lots of fun making it be what you're feeling it should be!! 🤔 :cool:

On the other hand it could turn out to be a disappointment, BUT, the great thing about bonsai is that you can grow it into being something else as long as you don't kill it.


AND that all begins next year. Your task this year is ...
 
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sorce

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Welcome to Crazy!

You should layer it and all sorts of things!

Make more! Overutilize!

Sorce
 

Zach Smith

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What makes you think it is American? If so, I’d be happy. It does have black spots on some leaves, but I was thinking it’s just some common fungus.
A couple of the larger leaves had the classic American elm shape, terminating in an elongated point with asymmetric edges. Also too big for Chinese elm. White bark also comes early on American elm, eventually getting raggedy-shredded looking. Given the size and apparent age, if it were Chinese elm you'd probably be seeing the exfoliation and salmon colored bark beneath by now. None apparent on this one.
 

LindaPat

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A couple of the larger leaves had the classic American elm shape, terminating in an elongated point with asymmetric edges. Also too big for Chinese elm. White bark also comes early on American elm, eventually getting raggedy-shredded looking. Given the size and apparent age, if it were Chinese elm you'd probably be seeing the exfoliation and salmon colored bark beneath by now. None apparent on this one.
Wonderful to know! Thank you! The texture of the leaves also seems different.
 

hinmo24t

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I'm 99% sure this is American elm :)

If you look closely, the leaves are twice-serrate. Each leaf tooth has two notches. Siberian elms are once-serrate.

View attachment 387544
i collected this (and another one or two) elms this season and hardcut them to nothing but a stick. they look like
the double-tooth and a single tooth

OP, they are so strong and invasive and good for bonsai: you can cut it to no branches and itll rebud, or airlayer it

20210720_203334.jpg
20210720_201858.jpg
 

LindaPat

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A couple of the larger leaves had the classic American elm shape, terminating in an elongated point with asymmetric edges. Also too big for Chinese elm. White bark also comes early on American elm, eventually getting raggedy-shredded looking. Given the size and apparent age, if it were Chinese elm you'd probably be seeing the exfoliation and salmon colored bark beneath by now. None apparent on this one.
Wonderful to know! Thank you! The texture of the leaves also seems different.
I'm 99% sure this is American elm :)

If you look closely, the leaves are twice-serrate. Each leaf tooth has two notches. Siberian elms are once-serrate.

View attachment 387544
My goodness. Twice serrate.
 

LindaPat

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Wonderful to know! Thank you! The texture of the leaves also seems different.

My goodness. Twice serrate
I'm 99% sure this is American elm :)

If you look closely, the leaves are twice-serrate. Each leaf tooth has two notches. Siberian elms are once-serrate.

View attachment 387544
Anything special about working with the roots?
 

Bonsai Nut

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Anything special about working with the roots?

Nope. They are very strong trees. However since it is past mid-July I would just let the tree get strong for the rest of the year and repot it in the spring. Then, wait until the young spring growth fully extends, gets dark green and 'hardens', wait one more month, and prune it back hard. (In Philly this will probably be some time late May/ early June).
 

LindaPat

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Nope. They are very strong trees. However since it is past mid-July I would just let the tree get strong for the rest of the year and repot it in the spring. Then, wait until the young spring growth fully extends, gets dark green and 'hardens', wait one more month, and prune it back hard. (In Philly this will probably be some time late May/ early June).
Update on this I think I’ll cut off both ends and let the little twigs grow into “trees”6C4FF2B7-8000-4C27-A691-148D35C3649B.jpeg
 

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bonsaichile

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A couple of the larger leaves had the classic American elm shape, terminating in an elongated point with asymmetric edges. Also too big for Chinese elm. White bark also comes early on American elm, eventually getting raggedy-shredded looking. Given the size and apparent age, if it were Chinese elm you'd probably be seeing the exfoliation and salmon colored bark beneath by now. None apparent on this one.
It looks more like a Siberian elm in my opinion
 
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