Any thoughts on this elm.....

[AaronThomas]

Wondering if anybody had any thoughts on this elm....
I have spent the last two seasons trying to tighten up the foliage on this tree... Was really happy with the way it was looking toward the end of last season. This year I did some root pruning to try and get the tree a bit lower in the pot but did not succeed (chickened out a bit with the amount I was removing) Perhaps next year a deeper pot is in order.
What I am wondering is should I chop the trunk a bit next season. There are only 4 branches on this thing... I tried a thread graft to try to increase that number but it didn't take. As you can see from the pics there is a large length of trunk between the 1st branch and 2nd. If I cut perhaps ill encourage new growth toward the top... the current cut was a butcher job not done by me.
Anyway... haven't touched the tree much this year.
Thanks!!!
This was last season...


This season...

 

[TN_Jim]

I could see it benefiting from a lower & more angular chop, and also letting the new leader run wild to fatten up (more so than presently).

The other I see is some branches lacking taper and that root crossing...
Either way, it’s not bad as is and definitely has potential.

 

[TN_Jim]

*

 

[Hartinez]

I’m no expert at this but here’s my thought. At first glance, the tree wants to be a broom style, but the branches at the top of the trunk are kind of all over the place and don’t come from the same spot at the top of the trunk. The roots as you said also are a bit of a mess and don’t radiate out in pin wheel style. Due to the obvious health of this tree and overall reputation of elms with great vigor, I’d consider this plan.

At the begininning of next season 2020, ground layer the tree (red lines) just above the current above ground roots to establish a quality Nebari. Let recover till 2021. Chop the tree heavy at the beginning of 2021 (green lines) to the first major branch to introduce more movement and utilizing the slight bend the tree already has to that direction. You should get a ton of back budding along the trunk and into your new leader. Repot in 2022 with a new angle turning the whole tree about 10 degrees counter clockwise. Grow your branches and ramify! Could be a whole new tree by 2024.

Again though, just a thought. The tree in its current state seems to have a bit of an identity crisis. I’m sure you’ve got the skills and patience though to make it something special regardless.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I think it wants to be a broom, so let it be a broom. I like that first photo a lot, in part, admittedly, because it is further away the flaws are less apparent. I think the taper on the base is really nice even if the roots are not perfectly placed. Some time planted deeper in a wider, shallower pot for the roots to meld could yield a fantastic result. Don’t chicken out, just time it right before the leaves come out in spring. Do work on branch structure and taper with long sacrifice branches, rather than focusing on density. A little more chopping could work since these bud from everywhere. It might look worse before it gets better, but I like the direction it is going in.

 

[Ali Raza]

I think most possible current style will be formal upright. If you want to consider other option, then it will need couple of years.

 

[leatherback]

The tree looks healthy enough. So that is good; You have a happy plant there, which means you can tease it a little.

You are unhappy with the roots. You said you think you were not aggressive enough trimming back. HOwever, by placing it this high in the pot, you will also not get any new roots closer to the trunk to which to cut back. So I would work on that right now. You have all summer ahead of you, enough to get some good growth. An easy way to go would be to tie tourniquettes around each of the visible roots. Then take an empty container, mesh, or something else that will hold the soil and put it on top of the current soil level. Fill her up with substrate, ensuring the tourniquettes are well below the surface. Then let the plant do its thing for the season. Just let her grow. This will create loads of root growth, pushing against the wiretourniquettes and stimulating side-roots.

For the canopy.. Have you tried a strong cutback in-season? The moment I cut back in season, I get budding all over. So you could consider doing a strong cutback now. Leaving only maybe 1 leaf on each of this years growth, or even further back. Thin out the canopy to start building taper & regularity in the branch pattern. And in 4 weeks you should get buds popping everywhere. When doing this, look at the main trunk: Are you happy with the transition at the chop? If not, you could consider not trimming that leader too much, and letting it do its thing for a bit.

Both of these are working against the other. If you apply them both right now, your root formation might take a year longer.
If it were my tree I would do both right now.

After thinning keep the plant out of direct sun untill leaves are opening. Else you run the risk of sunburn on the trunk.

 

[AaronThomas]

The other I see is some branches lacking taper and that root crossing...
Either way, it’s not bad as is and definitely has potential.

Yeah... kind of a branch disaster. In order to fill the spaces branches are crossing all over.... and the two majors are lacking taper yes.
Progress though from what it was years ago....
Thanks!

 

[AaronThomas]

the tree wants to be a broom style,

Yes! Broom style is what I had in mind... So makes me feel good you saw it!

At the begininning of next season 2020, ground layer the tree (red lines)

Agreed! The roots are such a mess... I have tried being super aggressive but as I stated... I didn't want to take it any further. Loving the idea of ground layering!

The current jog in the tree has not been such a problem till now.... the open canopy isn't helping my cause.

Will definitely consider all this... Wondering if I can start the root project now.

Thank you for taking the time to reply!

 

[AaronThomas]

You have all summer ahead of you, enough to get some good growth. An easy way to go would be to tie tourniquettes around each of the visible roots.

Hey Leatherback! I have never done this before... With the tourniquets do I need to open up the bark? Do they need to be super tight? Im excited about this idea... thinking I will tackle this now as suggested but take on the branch issue next spring.

For the canopy.. Have you tried a strong cutback in-season?

I did last season and it yielded excellent growth but nothing on the trunk... in fact I have had the tree for 5ish years and never have had a but on the trunk. The original chop didn't even have any growth around it. I still want to pursue a broom style so I was hoping a chop above the 3 larger branches may yield new growth.
If I do go ahead with a chop and thinning out... should the chop be made on a 45 even if Im not really looking for taper?

Thanks so much Leatherback! I'm excited about this tree again!

 

[AaronThomas]

A little more chopping could work since these bud from everywhere.

Agreed.... but have never had budding on the trunk no mater how much I cut back.
Def. going for a broom.... just not really happening with 4 main branches! LOL
Ill get it at some point!
Getting excited about the idea of ground layering rather than using a deeper pot.... even though I just bought a deeper pot for it

Thank you for taking the time!!!

 

[Tieball]

After thinning keep the plant out of direct sun untill leaves are opening. Else you run the risk of sunburn on the trunk.

I didn’t know a trunk could be sunburned....but the climate for this tree is Arizona....which can be like an oven many days.....so a very hot bare trunk is probably quite possible. I wonder if sap moving under the bark can get to hot and not function or dry up. My curious brain. Ha!....my climate has to many clouds. I try to find places to put trees in direct sun.

 

[AaronThomas]

I didn’t know a trunk could be sunburned....but the climate for this tree is Arizona....which can be like an oven many days.....so a very hot bare trunk is probably quite possible. I wonder if sap moving under the bark can get to hot and not function or dry up. My curious brain. Ha!....my climate has to many clouds. I try to find places to put trees in direct sun.

Did not know that either!

 

[AaronThomas]

Fill her up with substrate,

Curious as to the type of substrate… My soil is pretty open… Hot weather starting this time of year .... should I be using moss?

 

[AaronThomas]

So many questions… If I do need to cut a ring around all routes the Turnock it goes above the cut correct?

 

[leatherback]

Any part of a plant that is protected from the sun and gets exposed in summer can get burnt!

The idea of a tourniquette is partially that the tree starts to bite in. So putting the wire very sight to begin with will help.

If you are considering it.. I would say there is plenty of season left to do a layer this season.

 

[AaronThomas]

Any part of a plant that is protected from the sun and gets exposed in summer can get burnt!

The idea of a tourniquette is partially that the tree starts to bite in. So putting the wire very sight to begin with will help.

If you are considering it.. I would say there is plenty of season left to do a layer this season.

Definitely planning on trying it… In fact hoping to do today. I’m assuming the tourniquet technique will not involve cutting around the roots? It’s looking as though I will need nine or so around the current roots...will not be able to get one around the large base.

 

[AaronThomas]

Well, I pulled the trigger... was able to get a tourniquet around all the roots.
Hope I didn’t kill the tree! ?
I added a plastic ring made from an old pot and mixed my soil mix with sphagnum moss.
Waiting game is on...

 

[TN_Jim]

@leatherback, root tourniquet is an impressive concept... wow, thank you!

 

[TN_Jim]

@leatherback, I am wondering about Aarons positioning of wire. Would you go higher?