Another collected Elm

mholt

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I collected another elm stump yesterday growing on my property. It's short, fat, and ugly. We'll see what comes of it. I don't know if it's American, Slippery, or Siberian.
 

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october

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Hello mholt.. I think this has a lot of potential... I kind of envision the middle, completely straight part being chopped of at some point. Then developing both the thicker stump on the left and also the one on the right. If you get buds at the tops of both sections, you could have a nice informal upright. The kind where the first branch actually comes from part of the stump.

I hope you don't mind, but I made a virt showing what I mean.

Rob
 

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mholt

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virt

Thank you, Rob, for taking the time to draw that out! It is definitely a design to consider. Originally I was thinking to eliminate the straight middle trunk and develop the straight thin branch directly in front of that one into the new trunk line and eliminate the left stump. I left those there as I only had a pruning saw on hand when I collected it with the intention of bringing them down with the jigsaw or something small to get in there. BTW, nice white pine you've got there! I saw it on here yesterday or today.
 

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october

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Hello mholt... Yes, your virt is very good and workable. We both agree that the middle straight stump part has to go.. It would just be too difficult, if not impossible to get a curve in it.
 

rockm

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Personally, I think the middle stump is the future of the tree. It presents pretty dramatic taper. The other side trunks don't offer nearly the impact that the middle one will...
 

mholt

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Rockm, earlier today I went ahead and cut back the left trunk and carved it a bit along with cutting back the middle one about an inch higher from where the long twig in front exits, angling the cut back. I'll just let it be for now.
 

Tieball

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What happened to this tree after the collection? Any updated photo...like to see one or two.
 

mholt

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What happened to this tree after the collection? Any updated photo...like to see one or two.

Hi Tieball,
Per your request, here are some pics from today. Nothing much this summer, just been letting it recover from last year's collection and some early spring carving. Next section of trunk that I've let grow last year and this might be ready to chop next spring. The basket is full of roots and the tree has just seemed happy all around. -Mattelm_b7-22-12a.jpgelm_b7-22-12b.jpgelm_b7-22-12c.jpgelm_b7-22-12d.jpg
 
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