Elm dug up today

[Matte91]

Hello.

So I dug up this elm today. As you can see it has three trunks and some small shoots emerging from the buttom trunk.

My plan was to use the tree trunks and make some kind of a clumb style. I will chop the trunks lower again later, when I know were the new shoots will emerge. I know that I should remove the shoots pointing down in the soil. But those shoots got a lot of feeder roots, they will be removed later.

- How does "some kind" of clumb style sound to you?
- Should I remove all the small shoots from the buttom trunk that a pointing up(not those pointing down in the soil), to redirect all the energy to the three trunks?
- Should I remove the three trunks and make a bonsai out of all the small shoots?
- Other suggestions?

Sorry for all the questions. Thank you in advance.

 

[Matte91]

Anybody?

 

[Shibui]

You should just let it grow for at least a few months, probably a whole year before doing any more work so there's plenty of time to make decisions about a style.
I like the complimentary movement of the left and middle trunks but the right one seems to be fighting for space. I would take some time to consider it that right trunk really adds anything to this clump.

 

[Matte91]

You should just let it grow for at least a few months, probably a whole year before doing any more work so there's plenty of time to make decisions about a style.
I like the complimentary movement of the left and middle trunks but the right one seems to be fighting for space. I would take some time to consider it that right trunk really adds anything to this clump.

Thank you for your reply!
My plan was also to let the tree grow for a while.
But I was wondering if I can expect new shoots to sprout from the three trunks, when I have been chopping the three trunks down and didn't touch all the twigs on the buttom trunk? My concern is if all the energy now will go down to all the twigs?
Hope you understand despite my bad English.

 

[Shibui]

No need to apologize. Your English is fine.
It is very likely that the main trunks will sprout. That was the strongest part of the tree before so the tree will send lots of resources back there to try to restore those good trunks. I would expect plenty of new buds on those trunks. Usually most of the new buds will be closer to the top where you have cut but some trees will grow new buds all the way up the trunk. Best to wait until the tree is growing strong before making any further cuts to the trunks. Sometimes trees can be growing well and strong enough by mid summer but often it can take a full year before it is time to do any styling or cut the trunks more so your plan to let the tree grow is correct.

I don't think the smaller twigs will make much difference but if they are not really part of your plan just cut them off or leave them alone for now and cut off later if they start to grow too much. Any roots on those twigs will mostly feed the twig. I think very little will go down and back to the main trunk.

 

[Matte91]

No need to apologize. Your English is fine.
It is very likely that the main trunks will sprout. That was the strongest part of the tree before so the tree will send lots of resources back there to try to restore those good trunks. I would expect plenty of new buds on those trunks. Usually most of the new buds will be closer to the top where you have cut but some trees will grow new buds all the way up the trunk. Best to wait until the tree is growing strong before making any further cuts to the trunks. Sometimes trees can be growing well and strong enough by mid summer but often it can take a full year before it is time to do any styling or cut the trunks more so your plan to let the tree grow is correct.

I don't think the smaller twigs will make much difference but if they are not really part of your plan just cut them off or leave them alone for now and cut off later if they start to grow too much. Any roots on those twigs will mostly feed the twig. I think very little will go down and back to the main trunk.

Thank you very much for a very good explanation.
I think i just leave the tree alone for a while and hope for many new shoots sprouting.
I have a side question I hope you maybe can answer:
I got a few cork elms that I wan't to start styling this year. Do you know if cork elms sprout new shoots from the cork bark, if they are chopped down?

 

[Tieball]

I think my view was a bit more non-clump radical. I didn’t like the slingshot appearance of the trunks....and that all three were so evenly spaced apart. So I made it one trunk with carved deadwood areas at the base. Here’s what my mind saw...to throw a different opinion out to you. However, in person the clump style may look more promising. My view was only the two photos. I think that letting the current tree grow more that a new style will emerge that attracts your interest....before any chopping of any kind. What grows may be quite interesting....as a three tree clump, two tree or even a single trunk.

Just a different opinion.

 

[Matte91]

I think my view was a bit more non-clump radical. I didn’t like the slingshot appearance of the trunks....and that all three were so evenly spaced apart. So I made it one trunk with carved deadwood areas at the base. Here’s what my mind saw...to throw a different opinion out to you. However, in person the clump style may look more promising. My view was only the two photos. I think that letting the current tree grow more that a new style will emerge that attracts your interest....before any chopping of any kind. What grows may be quite interesting....as a three tree clump, two tree or even a single trunk.

Just a different opinion.
View attachment 290684

Thank you for your opinion. Nice tree! I will keep your opinion in mind and let the tree grow. Then we will see what happens

 

[AaronThomas]

I think my view was a bit more non-clump radical.

I second that! Think it would make for a real nice specimen.

 

[sorce]

Sorry @Matte91 I was viewing these pictures then got caught up doing something else yesterday.

I think a tilt so the low trunk is higher can make best use out of 3 trunks.

The 3 stovepipes are making it hard to visualize something.
But they are all useable, it's just hard to see right now.

I'd hedge it this year and come back in fall and pick 3 nice trunklines, and work on there thicknesses and taper woes later, with attention to next year's growth.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

they are all useable

The trunks, certainly not the stovepipes!

Sorce

 

[Matte91]

The trunks, certainly not the stovepipes!

Sorce

Sorry what do you mean by stovepipes?

 

[Shibui]

I got a few cork elms that I wan't to start styling this year. Do you know if cork elms sprout new shoots from the cork bark, if they are chopped down?

Cork elm is used for different species in different places so your cork elms could be any of a range of species. As far as I know all elms will sprout new buds when cut hard. Elms usually grow buds through the bark but will also grow lots of new buds all round the exposed cambium at the cut so you should get plenty of new shoots to work with after hard pruning an elm.

 

[Matte91]

Cork elm is used for different species in different places so your cork elms could be any of a range of species. As far as I know all elms will sprout new buds when cut hard. Elms usually grow buds through the bark but will also grow lots of new buds all round the exposed cambium at the cut so you should get plenty of new shoots to work with after hard pruning an elm.

Perfect. Thank you!

 

[sorce]

Everything above here.



You might actually should cut em off now.

You'll get low budding.

Sorce

 

[Matte91]

Everything above here.

View attachment 290863

You might actually should cut em off now.

You'll get low budding.

Sorce

That's actually a pretty good solution. I will let the tree grow for now. But I will probably chop them further down later. Thank you.