New branch development

[Bonsai_paul]

Hi all

This may sound like a stupid question and maybe it is but what would be the process to grow a new branch on an elm.

I have a tree that a bud starter to grow lower on the trunk and I want to develop it into a full branch.

Thanks

 

[BrianBay9]

Let it grow unpruned until it reaches the thickness you want. When you're ready prune back hard. With an elm you're very likely to get new buds on the limb where you want them. Then grow out to get taper. Cut back. Repeat.

 

[Bonsai_paul]

Let it grow unpruned until it reaches the thickness you want. When you're ready prune back hard. With an elm you're very likely to get new buds on the limb where you want them. Then grow out to get taper. Cut back. Repeat.

Thank you, so you cut back to the length you want the branch ?

Thank you

 

[BrianBay9]

No you want to make your first cut back much shorter than the final length of the branch. You'll essentially grow taper into the branch by growing multiple segments, each a bit thinner and shorter than the one before. Your final branch might be composed of 5 or 6 segments, maybe more.

 

[Shibui]

Lower buds often grow very slowly because apical dominance suppresses low shoots. You may need to keep the upper branches pruned a bit more than normal to encourage a lower shoot.
Definitely let the new shoot grow without pruning until it is nearly the thickness you want at the base then cut back to where the first sub branches are wanted. You do need to cut quite hard to get side shoots to grow and for the new extension to be thinner as mentioned above. exactly how far to cut will be determined by the size of the tree, canopy and the branch but usually under 1/3 of desired length.