Field grown Elm

[jquast]

This was field grown for a little more that three years in a five gallon pot with the roots being allowed to escape and was between 15-20 feet tall before it was cut down. The base was maybe at best an inch when I brought it home and is now a bit over six inches.

Plan to allow it to strenghten back up again and then possibly work it into a broom style elm or put it back into the ground again and allow some back branches to run to add some taper into the middle to lower part of the trunk.

 

[bonsaibp]

Your going to have to chop pretty low to get anything other then either a massive tree or a telephone pole. I'd try cutting the top into a v about 8" above the soil and try for a large broom. There is just no taper at all except reverse taper in this tree.

 

[jquast]

Your going to have to chop pretty low to get anything other then either a massive tree or a telephone pole. I'd try cutting the top into a v about 8" above the soil and try for a large broom. There is just no taper at all except reverse taper in this tree.

A large broom style tree is what my vision was for this tree considering the size of the cut that would need to heal over for any kind of trunk chop to induce taper. I tend to migrate towards the bigger trees as well, the smaller ones can be a p.i.t.a to wire.

 

[seth ellwood]

Seems to be a nice start . I have a cork bark elm nire species that I had the same problem with it is around 3 years further in developement than yours currently it I have a video series of what I did and the out come up to this past winter. Here is my first video for refrence these tecniques can be applied to your elm an get the same results.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhDaixMFmHw
Hope it helps.

 

[jquast]

Seems to be a nice start . I have a cork bark elm nire species that I had the same problem with it is around 3 years further in developement than yours currently it I have a video series of what I did and the out come up to this past winter. Here is my first video for refrence these tecniques can be applied to your elm an get the same results.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhDaixMFmHw
Hope it helps.

Nice progression videos Seth. Do you have any photos of the tree?

 

[nathanbs]

Your going to have to chop pretty low to get anything other then either a massive tree or a telephone pole. I'd try cutting the top into a v about 8" above the soil and try for a large broom. There is just no taper at all except reverse taper in this tree.

Bob can you explain the benefits or purpose of the "v" cut?

 

[bonsaibp]

Whether or not it actually makes a difference I don't know but it seems to me it helps give a little more taper to the first split of the trunk. And decrease the amount of reverse taper over time that tends to happen at the first split in a broom style. It may very well be an old idea that has seen its time but I was taught to do it that way in a long time ago by Melba Tucker.

 

[bonsaibp]

You are right sometimes you don't get shoots at the tops of the tips but since I've only done this with elms I just rub the buds off and wait for the next set to come out. Sooner or later you'll get them in close to the right place. I should have been more clear about the cut- it is not an even v but one side is longer then the other like as poink described a checkmark.

 

[seth ellwood]

Nice progression videos Seth. Do you have any photos of the tree?

Very few I just got a decent camera and am in the process of learning how to use it. Now only if I had a better video camera for my videos.LOL..

 

[bonsai barry]

Jeff, I, too dug out a field grown elm today (I think my tree isn't quite as thick as yours). I was able to create some taper by training a branch upward, You probably can, too. I didn't want to hijack your post so I started a new one for my elm:

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?13698-Another-field-grown-elm

 

[jquast]

So I made the V cut today and was wondering if anyone who has done htis before has any advise. Did I cut at the correct angles or do I need to make an adjustment?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[jquast]

So I made the V cut today and was wondering if anyone who has done htis before has any advise. Did I cut at the correct angles or do I need to make an adjustment?

Thanks,
Jeff

Does anyone have any advice by chance?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Looks about right to me. Especially since it seems to have living growing branches at the peak of each side. Ideally more buds will pop along the "V" so it has a few branches emerging from slightly different heights around the cut. The purpose of the "V" shaped cut is to avoid swelling caused by all branches emerging from exactly the same height.

I did this to an old Zelkova about 10 years ago, and found the right side of the V was dead, so nothing popped and I had to go for the informal upright look vs. classic broom style. Really disappointing, but it's coming along.

 

[jquast]

Looks about right to me. Especially since it seems to have living growing branches at the peak of each side. Ideally more buds will pop along the "V" so it has a few branches emerging from slightly different heights around the cut. The purpose of the "V" shaped cut is to avoid swelling caused by all branches emerging from exactly the same height.

I did this to an old Zelkova about 10 years ago, and found the right side of the V was dead, so nothing popped and I had to go for the informal upright look vs. classic broom style. Really disappointing, but it's coming along.

Thanks Brian! Did you bind the top in raffia that is often recommended when you did yours?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

No, the right side never budded, so there wasn't anything to bind...just grew a new leader, and carved the right side down.

 

[Tieball]

Seems to be a nice start . I have a cork bark elm nire species that I had the same problem with it is around 3 years further in developement than yours currently it I have a video series of what I did and the out come up to this past winter. Here is my first video for refrence these tecniques can be applied to your elm an get the same results.

Hope it helps.

Seth.....excellent video series. My question...when did you remove the chopstick-cellophane-tape component? Is there a growth timeline you followed (or is that tracked on another post somewhere here that I missed)?

Jquast did you use a similar wrapping technique? Did you have a wrapping removal timeline?

 

[jquast]

It has been about six weeks since I made the cuts and have had quite a bit of top growth and more sprouting each week. Like a typical elm it needs constant attention to remove buds in spots other than where I want them.

 

[M. Frary]

If a bud ever shows up near the base of the tree leave it grow out unrestrained as a sacrifice. This will help get a little taper down low. One should show up.

 

[jquast]

Update

So far a good response from the tree with lots of new shoots all around the V-cut. Had to cut the strong shoots back a few weeks ago to allow some of the weaker ones to gain some strength.

 

[Smoke]

Looks to me that some of those pencil thick shoots should be cut back to about an inch or so from the trunk and led off in a new direction. They are two thick and straight so far. Get the movement started soon or it will be too late and they will have to be removed all together since they will be too large to bend. This canopy should be built with clip and grow/directional pruning.