New Chinese Elm

[Ruelas831]

Hey guys just picked up this Chinese elm. What do you guys think? Trying to figure out the front,Anything that I should do? I know I have to repot.

 

[edprocoat]

Nice looking Elm, seems you may have 2 trees in your future from this baby.

ed

 

[Ruelas831]

So are you talking about air layering it to make two? If so where would you do the air layer?

 

[edprocoat]

Ruelas, if it were mine I would air layer it just above the bottom most branch. I would do the layer , looking at your second picture, just to the right of that branch that goes up and just at the bottom of the part where it grows upward. Elms layer easily and as fast as a Ficus maybe 2 months and you could separate it. Then I would chop it back to the right side of that bottom branch growing up and grow that out. You would have a very nice top, losing the ridiculous (imo) unnatural curve while retaining the nice upper portion. Then the bottom would grow out into a nice little sumo elm, you would have a great start in a year. You would be removing the flat part that shoots over to right to the layer area where it grows up.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

I should have just saved a thousand words and did this first.


virtelm by edsnapshot, on Flickr

The right line is the layer, the left is the chop.

ed

 

[Ruelas831]

When is the best time to air layer elms?