I Hedge pruned a Chinese Elm

[jonathanvperth]

This is a fun tree. I bought it from a bare root nursery a couple years ago. It has a nice root flare, semi-mature bark and a straight as a Navajo arrow trunk.

Its summer in Australia and this tree just had its second major growth spurt this season. So I chopped it back like a mad dog!! I took more care than blindly hacking but not that much more I left some areas a bit longer than others to allow thickening. And i cut the crown harder because it’s not far from the outline I desire

I have attached a pic of a tree I was inspired by in developing this elm

FYI- Walter Pall is the man

 

[penumbra]

Beautiful results

 

[jonathanvperth]

I found a pic of how the tree started

 

[sorce]

What's that a hinoki?

I don't like branches like that. Guess that's how them Cypress grow but I don't like it.

Will you make your branching more Deciduous?

Sorce

 

[AaronThomas]

What’s the actual hight of the tree?
Great start!

 

[misfit11]

What's that a hinoki?

I don't like branches like that. Guess that's how them Cypress grow but I don't like it.

Will you make your branching more Deciduous?

Sorce

I tend to agree with Sorce here. Your inspiration tree is a conifer. That style, although not my cup of tea, is more like that of a conifer. I'm also not a fan of the hedge pruning technique. I know Walter Pall is a big advocate and his trees are phenomenal, but it's not for me. What you achieving here, IMHO, is basically topiary not bonsai.

Look at native Elms for inspiration. You don't necessarily need to do a broom style. You could still use this tree's upright bones and create a natural deciduous inspired bonsai. The branches, especially as you move up the tree should have more a an upright habit. The flat pads on your inspiration tree don't say deciduous at all to me.

Ultimately, it's your tree, your choice. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.

 

[just.wing.it]

Was it originally a spiral topiary?

 

[misfit11]

The tree as you got it has more of what I think you should aim for. If it were mine, I'd chop at the red line and make that first branch the apical leader. That would result in buds popping back on the trunk that could be trained as branches. Your taper would be improved greatly and you would result in a much more convincing tree.

I realize doing something as drastic as this seems crazy to people new to the hobby. If removing that much material seems wasteful, you could airlayer off that top section and have two trees.

 

[sorce]

realize doing something as drastic as this seems crazy to people new to the hobby. If removing that much material seems wasteful, you could airlayer off that top section and have two tre

The way I see it, this tree is going to want to make all that growth on a couple branches if chopped back, that'll make for a damn quick new segment, if not one year in Oz.

I would layer every trunk and one branch for a new lead starting from the top down.

Making sure to angle the layers appropriate for the direction of the new lead. / And such.
And using RadialDisks.

5 new trees, and in the mean time, of we could get that final chop any lower, iffin new low stuff sprouts with the chops, that'd be good to lower this tree to too.

I am Not all against the majesticness of turning an elm into a tree like that.

I just think you'll find a Hinoki that good, and he'll, might could trade 2 or 3 of these elms for one in a few years!

Sorce

 

[_#1_]

I would not chop that low. It seems a lot of people prefers short stocky trees. I prefer taller, slender trees when it's a formal upright. Looks more natural to me.

I would chop the top 1/4 off to start a new leader thought. And let a couple bottom branches thicken. Something like this elm, coincidentally enough is shaped kinda like the Hinoki but not topiary refined.

 

[j evans]

Wow, about 6 replies and about 6 different ideas, just shows that there are a lot of different ways to do things.
Not just one right way

 

[jonathanvperth]

What’s the actual hight of the tree?
Great start!

It's about 30 inches tall. I have trees of all sizes but this is the biggest

 

[jonathanvperth]

What's that a hinoki?

I don't like branches like that. Guess that's how them Cypress grow but I don't like it.

Will you make your branching more Deciduous?

Sorce

Hard to say what the future holds. This spring I nearly chopped it at the base but I thought that not every tree needs to be about thick trunks and taper. I just like it for what it is at the moment

 

[jonathanvperth]

Was it originally a spiral topiary?

Lol It's funny how people see different things from a single picture. I see what you are saying. I am good acquaintances with a family who own a nursery that only sells bare root trees. The son in law visited Japan and decided to try a bit of styling on this tree one growing season. From memory it was about a foot taller.

 

[jonathanvperth]

I would not chop that low. It seems a lot of people prefers short stocky trees. I prefer taller, slender trees when it's a formal upright. Looks more natural to me.

I would chop the top 1/4 off to start a new leader thought. And let a couple bottom branches thicken. Something like this elm, coincidentally enough is shaped kinda like the Hinoki but not topiary refined.
View attachment 283194

That's a beauty!! I am especially unsatisfied with the crown. I will very much consider your input. Thanks for posting this

 

[sorce]

taper

taller, slender

Tall and Slender is ok, but there is no illusion without taper.
Taper IS Bonsai.

The Hinoki, the other elm, both have excellent taper.

The tree creates everything except taper.
Taper is the only thing we need to create.

(5minutes looking at the trees again)

You could grow just enough taper into that elm trunk. Just enough.
But not with the canopy in that diamond shape.

This season seems to have already spoiled some increase in taper.

Something like this that needs taper built in as is, needs vigilant attention to leaf quantity.
I would be on a 2 year mission to get the branching back to favorable, thickest lowest, thinnest up top. With special attention to holding them middle ones froze till the bottom catch up.

Then about 3-5 years pumping the taper back in, then styling, or starting branches over.

Starting branches over.....
This is why you can grow "just enough" taper into the trunk as is, growing anymore taper in may require a restart of branches.

(Looking at that naked elm again)

If taper from x to zero is perfect and one end of a spectrum....
This elm falls JUST outside the other end of the acceptable spectrum...
It doesn't need a great deal of taper, but it does need a little better.

Truth truth, I'd rather see it grown in then chopped and started over.

You can see on the other elm where sac bumps added taper to the base, elsewhere likely.

Yeah, I'd take this elm!

The more I think about it, the more fun it gets!

Sorce

 

[AaronThomas]

It's about 30 inches tall. I have trees of all sizes but this is the biggest

Love it!

 

[choppychoppy]

This is looking like a topiary hedge. Aka hideous. This tree needs proper branch selection and pruning for taper. Hedging a hedge will make a hedge not a bonsai. This is a big miss for me.

 

[AaronThomas]

LOL this is one case where beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

 

[jonathanvperth]

This is looking like a topiary hedge. Aka hideous. This tree needs proper branch selection and pruning for taper. Hedging a hedge will make a hedge not a bonsai. This is a big miss for me.

Bloody shame this tree doesn’t get your approval, not sure if I’ll sleep tonight . Harsh words! I’d hesitate to show you a picture of my wife!!!

In seriousness I started by saying its a fun tree, I think I paid $50 for it. Maybe I’ll make it a project now! Turn trash into treasure