Chinese elm styling

crea7or

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Sorry to hijack your post, but have the exact same question... Where should I chop? :D20220322_131556.jpg1.png2.png3.png
 
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HorseloverFat

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Any of these work!

I'm partial to the first picture... to build better long-term Trunk taper.. although those arent the "best" two new options left over.. 🤔

I'd still make that first suggested chop.. make sure there's some concave to it.. And adjust "front" or hope for a slightly better leader bud to emerge. (it will)

🤓
 

crea7or

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Any of these work!

I'm partial to the first picture... to build better long-term Trunk taper.. although those arent the "best" two new options left over.. 🤔

I'd still make that first suggested chop.. make sure there's some concave to it.. And adjust "front" or hope for a slightly better leader bud to emerge. (it will)

🤓
Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated.. Option 1 was my intended option as well.. but I wasn't 100% sure and needed a second opinion.. The front is not yet decided.. It will be adjusted later after I will have a proper leader.
 

crea7or

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Why from the option1 the right branch isn't a viable leader ?
Currently it is a viable leader.. but I don't have the front decided.. and maybe a new shoot will be the next "true :D" leader
 

Scrogdor

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So, I was looking at it today and noticed a different secondary branch taking leadership off the current leader. Not entirely sure where to go from here.

Do I chop it? Or chop the original one I had planned? This one is at a weird angle so not sure what design I could do with it. Red arrows are pointing to what looks like the new leader. Easy to tell it’s thickened a lot in just a month or so. Added an older picture fto compare.
 

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TN_Jim

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I wouldn’t have chopped that low because you had taper and movement there. Next year in early spring I would put it in a larger/wider pot and grow that leader out to about 4-7’ tall if healthy and be especially aware of the directions of the first 3”
 

Scrogdor

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I wouldn’t have chopped that low because you had taper and movement there. Next year in early spring I would put it in a larger/wider pot and grow that leader out to about 4-7’ tall if healthy and be especially aware of the directions of the first 3”
What chop are you referring to?
 

TN_Jim

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What chop are you referring to?
Well, I guess I got confused by the tree crea7or posted.

Back on track, would call the lowest left branch your first, the red arrow your second (would try to get some downward movement if possible) and the blue your leader. The only thing I’d chop right now is this lowest circled branch on the right.
36796E08-248F-4DF6-83EB-AE87C638D9F3.jpeg
 

Scrogdor

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Well, I guess I got confused by the tree crea7or posted.

Back on track, would call the lowest left branch your first, the red arrow your second (would try to get some downward movement if possible) and the blue your leader. The only thing I’d chop right now is this lowest circled branch on the right.
View attachment 430570
The problem I’m running into is the second red branch “now” looks like it’s becoming the leader. It’s thickened up faster than the blue branch and is now larger. (See other pictures).
 

TN_Jim

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The problem I’m running into is the second red branch “now” looks like it’s becoming the leader. It’s thickened up faster than the blue branch and is now larger. (See other pictures).
would put a tension wire around it with some tubing against the branch and slowly crank that branch down careful not to snap. letting the leader grow way tall will make it surpass the branch
 

Scrogdor

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would put a tension wire around it with some tubing against the branch and slowly crank that branch down careful not to snap. letting the leader grow way tall will make it surpass the branch
I’ll give that a try, it’s already pretty horizontal. Would trimming the shoots coming off it help strengthen the other one?
 

TN_Jim

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I’ll give that a try, it’s already pretty horizontal. Would trimming the shoots coming off it help strengthen the other one?
Yea, that branch after the elbow that’s going straight vertical, that’s just not great for a “branch” in general usually; however, if you are going to crank it down to angle out that verticality I would not cut anything on it at all now because those leaves are keeping the vascular system pumping and will make the bend heal faster and prevent the tree from giving up on and killing off that branch.

That said, I would not let that let it grow out to 6’ like I would the leader, would keep it cut back after bend is set and more so focus on fattening up the first branch on the left to be larger than the one in question.
The other option would be to just cut the branch to the first set of leaves at the elbow now and loose the bend of the elbow like this:
E1AC5F12-7468-4751-8C64-90E45937A643.jpeg
Doing this will definitely slow that branch way down, and after all, you’re probably gonna end up cutting to that solitary leaf on the vertical section just above the elbow anyway, you will just loose that elbow bend.

Guy wiring the branch down would give you something more like this (below); however, to answer your question, shortening the branch will not strengthen the leader, letting the leader grow long will fatten up the leader and make it have congruent taper with the chop. I’d say any cut technically weakens the overall tree. The only thing cutting the branch back would do is remove resources of the tree including auxin that may be likely pushing it up to share apical dominance with what you’re choosing as the leader.

FEA24614-18A8-48EE-A853-7570E235DEC1.jpeg
 

Scrogdor

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Yea, that branch after the elbow that’s going straight vertical, that’s just not great for a “branch” in general usually; however, if you are going to crank it down to angle out that verticality I would not cut anything on it at all now because those leaves are keeping the vascular system pumping and will make the bend heal faster and prevent the tree from giving up on and killing off that branch.

That said, I would not let that let it grow out to 6’ like I would the leader, would keep it cut back after bend is set and more so focus on fattening up the first branch on the left to be larger than the one in question.
The other option would be to just cut the branch to the first set of leaves at the elbow now and loose the bend of the elbow like this:
View attachment 430685
Doing this will definitely slow that branch way down, and after all, you’re probably gonna end up cutting to that solitary leaf on the vertical section just above the elbow anyway, you will just loose that elbow bend.

Guy wiring the branch down would give you something more like this (below); however, to answer your question, shortening the branch will not strengthen the leader, letting the leader grow long will fatten up the leader and make it have congruent taper with the chop. I’d say any cut technically weakens the overall tree. The only thing cutting the branch back would do is remove resources of the tree including auxin that may be likely pushing it up to share apical dominance with what you’re choosing as the leader.

View attachment 430687
Part of me just wants to chop to that first branch and start anew.
 
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