E Bay Chinese Elm

[Thomas J.]

This is only my second and probably last bonsai I will buy from eBay. It's sometimes a crap shoot as to what you will get by not seeing it in person to decide whether or not to buy. This first photo of this Chinese Elm was pretty misleading as there is no way to tell that halfway up the trunk to the top is dead wood. Youcan't tell this by looking at the listed photo. The leaves from one of the straight up branches was covering the fact it was top dead. Had I saw this in person I might not have bought this tree. But as you scroll down to the second pic I think I lucked out with what I finally came up with. Since I'll be using this tree styled in the penjing style, I believe it will fit right in. I actually really like it now.

Photo of tree as listed



Here's the new style with new pot.



And a little black and white also.

 

[Shibui]

I think what you have ended up with is better than you bought. The dead part has actually done you a favour. The trunk now has some taper and maybe even better bends that the original.
I would not be surprised to see a bunch of new shoots sprout from where you have pruned off the old trunk which could give options for new right branches. As the remaining parts fill out it will probably make sense to reduce the existing apex quite a bit.