Chop advice...

[B.uneasy]

Let it grow out, only watering and fertilizing, you may end up liking the growth down there. Your bound to get branches and buds all over, but I would personally keep some of the foliage down there. Maybe in a while you will even change your mind on a front because of different growth. Nice tree!

 

[JesusFreak]

I pray it buds higher. Useless without it

 

[B.uneasy]

I pray it buds higher. Useless without it

It will, just water it nicely, and make sure it gets it share of sun. Personally, I would chop some of the foliage off down there, but keep some of it just so the tree can lift itself from the point of death. With less foliage at the bottom, you may see some buds at the top because all the energy from the tree would not be directed to the bottom When you water, apply some onto the top of the tree to keep it moist. Im not as knowledgable as the others in this forum, so don't take what I say with a grain of salt

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If this trunk were mine. I would immediately remove the root suckers. They are exerting "apical dominance" and preventing buds on the trunk from sprouting. At least that is what I would do. This trunk is showing a very weak response. If you allow those root suckers to continue, they will be the only growth you get. Remove them immediately, and you have maybe a 50% chance of something sprouting higher up on the trunk. But without the age of the trunk, the tree you could make from the roots suckers would be worthless. So get rid of the root suckers NOW, if there is any hope of saving the main trunk.

 

[LanceMac10]

I do one or the other, not both. It's been four weeks? Most likely the tree will stop throwing resources up the trunk and live off of the energy the suckers at the base are supplying.

Hopefully it will throw some growth out higher, but I doubt it.

 

[LanceMac10]

If this trunk were mine. I would immediately remove the root suckers. They are exerting "apical dominance" and preventing buds on the trunk from sprouting. At least that is what I would do. This trunk is showing a very weak response. If you allow those root suckers to continue, they will be the only growth you get. Remove them immediately, and you have maybe a 50% chance of something sprouting higher up on the trunk. But without the age of the trunk, the tree you could make from the roots suckers would be worthless. So get rid of the root suckers NOW, if there is any hope of saving the main trunk.

It's been noted you type REAL fast. I agree with the above.....

 

[JesusFreak]

Any need to chop further down? Or scrub the trunk rid of it’s old bark?

 

[AaronThomas]

I agree with Leo… Pluck those suckers. I would probably leave it alone after that.

 

[MrWunderful]

If you scratch it, is the cambium green at the top of the tree? If not then it died back and those root suckers is all thats left.

If so, then you should be safe to prune the suckers.

 

[JesusFreak]

Yea I peeled some of the darker crusty spots off the trunk and it’s bright green under there. Makes me feel better

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

No need, and probably not a good idea to scrub the trunk right now, you might accidentally damage new buds that might be forming, further setting back the tree. But green cambium is a good sign, now remove the suckers if you have not yet, and then leave it alone to see what it will do. I have had trunks sit until July after collection, before finally popping buds and growing. So give it time.

 

[JesusFreak]

 

[leatherback]

Oh boy, now what have you done! Look at all that green on those cuts! Why, it seems like it wants to live

Nice, congrats!

 

[JesusFreak]

Should I let it grow like crazy or eliminate all but a few shoots on the large branch

 

[ponderingsage]

Looks good. My elms respond like this after a chop. I thin out so it's not so crowded, and to focus the energy a bit. I typically leave some extra, as I inevitably hit one when carving big cuts.

 

[AaronThomas]

I would get rid of the growth at the base... And let it grow!

 

[JesusFreak]

Branch selection time. This is my first styling of a decent tree and dont want to jack it up. Please help. Leo has gotten me this far and I don’t wanna keep bothering him lol

 

[Shibui]

Where there are lots of branches growing close together you should pick 2 or, at most, 3 to build the main branches. Look for strong ones growing in the right directions and cut off the others. As this appears to be broom style the best direction for main branches is up and out. 2 stronger branches on the thicker stump growing toward each other. One (or maybe both) should go in favor of one going in a better direction. If there are none going in the desired directions pick the best and wire them into better place.

There is not just one road to bonsai.
I think it time to cut all those new branches way back to get another level of ramification. Others would just select branches and allow those to keep growing to gain some more thickness before cutting back.

 

[JesusFreak]

In order to get the main structure I feel like letting them grow to the desired thickness is what I’m going to do

 

[sorce]

Just don't forget it'll keep growing, so depending on how long you will continue to develop it, leave off that much thickness.

You can think about what branches you will keep in your final design that come off the new leader. Maybe the first one or two.
Then keep them and the lead itself, but cut off the other branches. This way you'll thicken the lead and not shade your next buds.

Sorce