Cedar Elm pruning

[Goathead]

Hello all! I’m 3 years new to bonsai, with about 80 trees of maybe 40 species in VERY early development. So I went nuts like most here

I recently acquired and worked on this Cedar Elm at the LSBF convention in Houston. It is much farther along than any of my current projects, with all desired primary branches and many secondary. We did quite a bit of work and branch selection 1 mo ago, removing about 90% of total foliage, and now it has leafed back out very well.
I would like to start refining this tree, and I’m unsure how to proceed. New shoots/branches have about 5-9 leaves each. The branches are palpably stiff but not visibly lignified. It is healthy and happy. Do I now…….
1) prune everything I don’t wish to elongate/thicken back to 2-3 leaves?
2) Wait until the branches harden more and do this in 2-4 weeks?
3) Don’t touch it until Fall? Or next Spring?
4) Should I have pinched/pruned as they emerged and I missed a good opportunity?

I’m in no hurry, so the health of the tree is always my main priority. I’ve become proficient at keeping trees alive, but have much to understand about pruning; so any insight into this tree is greatly appreciated.

I do plan a repot in Spring.
It will also be above 90 many days soon and I fear growth will stop.

Thanks again for any help, and a happy bonsai weekend to all!

 

[Michael P]

My cedar elm is in nearly the same condition and I am wondering the same thing.

 

[Goathead]

And this is the tree before and after work 1 mo ago.

 

[rockm]

Nice cedar elm! At this point, with all that extension growth, you need to prune the strongest shoots back to two or even one leaf. If the shoots have lignified (turned woody) that pruning should produce new shoots. I've already given my CEs their first "haircut" of the season and have a second flush of growth already. CE is a very apically dominant tree and will get an overgrown crown quickly (as in a few years). It's a constant battle of controlling that and encouraging lower branching to develop--which means prune the top hard into old wood in the late winter, but allow lower branching to extend for a few years then cut it back hard. From the looks of you tree, that's what has been done.

The shoot pruning should continue through mid summer or so, when the tree starts slowing down on extension growth.

Next spring, I'd also get it out of that nursery container and into a bonsai growing pot with bonsai soil. The soil is already looking choked-- Weeds like those are an indication soil isn't draining as well as it should. Might also take a look at the nebari/surface rooting to see what's what--cedar elm rarely have decent surface roots and favor pushing one or three large roots from the trunk.

 

[Goathead]

Thanks for the reply.

The plan is definitely repot in bonsai soil next spring. And I have plucked those damn weeds daily, but can’t seem to win.

To clarify one thing……
I believe the shoots are “mid” lignification; like hard to the touch but still green in color. Do I NEED to wait until obviously lignified, or only when back budding is desired? If I cut now it may just extend from the cut point without creating ramification? I hate to go backward in development by mis- timing.