My little elm

[Dandare]

Hi Everyone!

First post here and i am hoping for some advice,
I was given a Chinese elm for Christmas from a family member, I am not sure where it came from but I love it.

I am having some trouble working out if I should prune or not prune my tree. I cannot seem to figure out what it wants to do.

I have included a picture for you to see what you think.

 

[TN_Jim]

I’d drop ‘Chinese elm bonsai’ into the search machine here and on the web image engines and find trees that appeal to you that have a similar shape to your tree, and as much about the species as possible. That bend you have is serious!

You may have already done this; however, I guess what I’m saying, is that I’d find some direction or plan, and learn as much as you can about the species, and making it thrive, before cutting anything.

If you are looking for design advice, you should post clear photos from all sides of the tree (see other posts here), and folks are also going to want to know your location.

My first thought was something like this..

 

[Hawke84]

I like it, i have a similar one with quite an S bend and I really love it. good news it elm are really good at bouncing back and can tolerate a few mistakes. I'd do what @TN_Jim says and do some reading up while the tree gets used to its new home and u are confident you can keep it alive