Dwarf Chinese elm

[G-squad]

Hi All,

First time posting here. I picked up this Dwarf Chinese elm. I'm fairly new to bonsai and no experience with elms at all only maples and ficus.
I am thinking about reducing the size with a big trunk chop to just above the first branch. It's winter here now in Australia is it a good time or should I wait until spring?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Shibui]

Welcome to the nut house.
Your tree looks like the Chinese elm variety we call 'Seiju' I don't think it is a true dwarf. The re is a dwarf Chinese elm called 'Hokkaido' but that one has much smaller leaves and extremely brittle branches which drop off at a touch.

Whatever variety it is you have a choice to chop for taper and more buds down low OR to let it grow a bit longer to thicken the trunk more.
Much will depend on your plans for the future of the tree as a bonsai. What size do you hope to develop? Do you want to see a much thicker trunk or are you reasonably happy with the current trunk diameter?
I also grow many of my bonsai by repeated chop and grow sequences so that now gives 3 slightly different development plans.

All Chinese elm vars are great at back budding after pruning so you can cut pretty much any time and expect to see lots of new buds below the cut. Being winter now it won't respond to pruning straight away but will as the weather warms up in spring. There is a slight risk that some infection could creep in through the open wound while the tree is dormant. Pruning now will probably not achieve anything more than the same chop in spring so if you can contain your urge to cut for a few weeks that might be good.
These are one of the first to start growing in spring. Some of mine start to show new green buds soon after mid winter so I don't think you won't have long to wait in Sydney.
When you do chop you should probably cut lower than your first inclination. Trees only ever grow up and out so first cuts need to be much lower than final tree height to allow for new apex and branch growth.

Cuttings strike quite easily so if you fancy growing a few more you could try to strike some of the bits you cut off.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Where has it been kept?

How long have you had it?

What are your predicted weather patterns?

I wouldn't chop it now in fear that, without knowing the above information, you may actually prompt it to grow again, which it may not be able to handle, if you are expected to have any weather changes.

I think it will be safe to chop it as close to just before growth in spring as possible.

But I believe you'll get a better budding response if you allow it to grow in spring, and chop it either mid spring growth, or if you have a long summer dormant period, right before fall growth begins.

Sorce

 

[G-squad]

Thanks for the replies and information.
I've only had it for about a month or so purchased from a local bonsai nursery. Its been kept outside and our weather now is probably as cold as it will get now in Sydney down to 2-3 degrees celsius overnight and during the day between 15-19 degrees celsius pretty mild.

I think I will wait until closer to spring to do a chop. I would like to get some taper on this one as it's quite tall at the moment and the trunk is pretty much the same width up the whole tree currently.

 

[Shibui]

These can stay outside all year in Australia. Gets colder down here and mine are out all winter with no problem. as mentioned they often start showing new leaves soon after mid winter and the off frost does not worry the new shoots.

They can be semi-deciduous in warmer areas and Sydney is borderline so don't be surprised if it does not drop leaves in warm winters or protected locations.

 

[SeanS]

These can stay outside all year in Australia. Gets colder down here and mine are out all winter with no problem. as mentioned they often start showing new leaves soon after mid winter and the off frost does not worry the new shoots.

They can be semi-deciduous in warmer areas and Sydney is borderline so don't be surprised if it does not drop leaves in warm winters or protected locations.

@Shibui My Chinese elms are either still hanging onto their red autumn leaves, or haven’t changed at all and are still in green leaf guise. It only been getting down to around 4-5°c at night here in Johannesburg South Africa. Do I just continue on with the “normal” deciduous schedule regarding repotting and cutting back in spring with the one that hasn’t gone dormant this season?

 

[Shibui]

They usually lose leaves here and behave like real deciduous trees so I don't often have that dilemma but growers from Queensland have informed me that their Chinese elms are never really bare. Their quandary is the same as yours - when to repot a deciduous tree that doesn't lose leaves? By trail and error (maybe that should be trial and trial) they have discovered that Chinese elm can be repotted and root pruned any time of year.
If you are concerned just stick to the normal spring repot even though the tree still has a full coat. The tree won't care but it might make you feel happier an more confident and I've found that confidence carries much more weight than skill.

 

[SeanS]

They usually lose leaves here and behave like real deciduous trees so I don't often have that dilemma but growers from Queensland have informed me that their Chinese elms are never really bare. Their quandary is the same as yours - when to repot a deciduous tree that doesn't lose leaves? By trail and error (maybe that should be trial and trial) they have discovered that Chinese elm can be repotted and root pruned any time of year.
If you are concerned just stick to the normal spring repot even though the tree still has a full coat. The tree won't care but it might make you feel happier an more confident and I've found that confidence carries much more weight than skill.

Thanks, I’ll confidently repot soon
When I bought this elm last year in winter it was completely bare and started budding out in late July. This year it had a really rough season and kept dropping yellowed leaves throughout the season, so currently it actually only has a handful of tired looking green leaves at the end of its extended shoots, so I wouldn’t call it a “full coat” anyway. I’ll repot next month and give it a hard spring prune to try reset its system.

Sorry OP for high jacking your thread

 

[G-squad]

@SeanS Your all good mate! I'm learning a bit from chat between you and @Shibui. As mine as well here have lost no leaves and haven't changed colour they are all very green.