Ulmus wiring suggestions
- Thread starter Heitor Silva
- Start date
leatherback
The Treedeemer
I would consider pointing the branches more upward. It feels too much like a pine to me right now.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I agree with the branches up for elm. Natural growth habit is usually with ascending branches - different to conifers. This one has been developed to look like a 'bonsai' without regard to the natural form of the species but you can grow any tree in any shape that you want.
What makes you think this should be the front? Hard to tell with a single 2D pic but the apex seems to be leaning to the back from this side.
Heitor Silva
Yamadori
Do you mean something like this? (I will send a pic) Btw, after searching for images looked like, this plant is really resembling a pine. One of my main dou
Thanks for the reply, guys! In my opinion, that is the "front" of the tree due to two main factors: the first one is the superficial roots: upon digging the tree so as to check how things were doing "underground", i noticed that this is the best spot from which roots are irradiating. Also, I am sorry for the quality of the picture, actually, the apex bends to the right side, projecting itself to the front of the tree.
As for the branch positioning, I really apologise for the "piny" appearance, it really seems unnatural, when compared to "in loco" chinese elms. In fact, I bought this tree as a gift for a close friend, during an exposition at The Botanical Garden of Sao Paulo, and didn't really care for its structure. I will try and lift the branches up for a more natural feeling, then, I will post another picture.
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Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Great to hear you have considered the roots in relation to picking a front. Best view should be a combination of roots, trunk, branching, features and faults. Sometimes one or more of these needs to be compromised to show the best overall view and often some minor problems can be changed with a little work.
Can you show the tree from one side, or even from all 4 sides please? The side views help others to see the back and forward bends in the trunk and which direction the branches are growing so can help with better style advice.
Can you show the tree from one side, or even from all 4 sides please? The side views help others to see the back and forward bends in the trunk and which direction the branches are growing so can help with better style advice.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I got no prob with pine style, first pic looks cool as hell to my eye.
Good wiggle in the trunk and good branch placement.
I guess pine styled deciduous trees are not in style right now....all the more reason to make some....imho.
Good wiggle in the trunk and good branch placement.
I guess pine styled deciduous trees are not in style right now....all the more reason to make some....imho.
Heitor Silva
Yamadori
Sure thing, I'm sending them here.
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Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Everything in bonsai is subjective. My opinions are just that and you are free to shape your own bonsai in any way you wish but here are my thoughts.
As I suspected, that skinny little shoot is not the top of this bonsai. It is far too tall and skinny for the size of this tree IMHO so needs to be shortened a bit. Apex really needs to lean a bit further forward too. Also the side branches seem to be bending back away from the chosen front.
Here are some ideas from your photos. Remember these are just from viewing photos I may have overlooked important aspects and I cannot see the roots to add those into the mix.
First, from your chosen front:
Shorten the apex at about the red line. That cut will stimulate plenty of new shoots to grow up there. Grow the new canopy from a couple of those new shoots out to about the black line. Side branches seem to be leaning toward the back ( yellow area) bend both forward a bit. Lower side branches generally look better when coming forward at around 45deg. Possibly tilt the whole tree a little more to the left to make the first section of trunk lean a bit more.
2: The trunk line from this angle looks like it has even better curves but the lower branches are all toward the back or front. Check the exact other side of this pic. Looks like the other front but turned anti clockwise a bit?
That angle would bring the current first branch round a bit toward the front view without bending it. 2nd branch would become a back branch? and the 3rd would be the right side branch I think. Again, cut somewhere near the red line and grow the resulting new shoots out to the black outline. Yellow shows bending that branch to the side as I believe it is currently right above the one below. Staggering branches helps fill out the canopy and branches that are right above shade out the one below so always best for tree health to try to have them occupy different spaces from above. The catch to this side may be the apex is a little backward? Also roots?
Back to you for consideration.
As I suspected, that skinny little shoot is not the top of this bonsai. It is far too tall and skinny for the size of this tree IMHO so needs to be shortened a bit. Apex really needs to lean a bit further forward too. Also the side branches seem to be bending back away from the chosen front.
Here are some ideas from your photos. Remember these are just from viewing photos I may have overlooked important aspects and I cannot see the roots to add those into the mix.
First, from your chosen front:
Shorten the apex at about the red line. That cut will stimulate plenty of new shoots to grow up there. Grow the new canopy from a couple of those new shoots out to about the black line. Side branches seem to be leaning toward the back ( yellow area) bend both forward a bit. Lower side branches generally look better when coming forward at around 45deg. Possibly tilt the whole tree a little more to the left to make the first section of trunk lean a bit more.
2: The trunk line from this angle looks like it has even better curves but the lower branches are all toward the back or front. Check the exact other side of this pic. Looks like the other front but turned anti clockwise a bit?
That angle would bring the current first branch round a bit toward the front view without bending it. 2nd branch would become a back branch? and the 3rd would be the right side branch I think. Again, cut somewhere near the red line and grow the resulting new shoots out to the black outline. Yellow shows bending that branch to the side as I believe it is currently right above the one below. Staggering branches helps fill out the canopy and branches that are right above shade out the one below so always best for tree health to try to have them occupy different spaces from above. The catch to this side may be the apex is a little backward? Also roots?
Back to you for consideration.
Heitor Silva
Yamadori
Hey, guys, thanks for all the tips, it really helps begginers as noob as me. I followed Shibui's advice to reduce the apex, and also mantained the overall structure, which looks kinda "unnatural" for an Elm, inspired by just.wing.it. As for the tree's future, I will let it chilling out for at least a season, so as to get it reestablished. It has been some 8 days after the last post, and it is already budding! 
Clicio
Masterpiece
@Heitor Silva It looks nice , congrats!
But..
All my elms are dropping their leaves right now, and I live in...São Paulo, you've guessed it! Usually they really go fast-forward only from September onwards. I hope mine are not all dying!
Heitor Silva
Yamadori
Bom dia! Well, from my perspective, your elms might be doing fine! Since we brazilians are facing Winter right now, elms tend to drop their leaves. Here is a magnificent field elm (Ulmus campestre) from Walter Pall as example:@Heitor Silva It looks nice , congrats!
But..
All my elms are dropping their leaves right now, and I live in...São Paulo, you've guessed it! Usually they really go fast-forward only from September onwards. I hope mine are not all dying!
(sauce: http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2009/11/field-elm-in-winter.html?m=1)
Boa sorte!
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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I don't know what the weather has been like in Brazil, but last week Argentina had record breaking cold spell. With cold, leaves will drop even on species that usually keep their leaves. Yes, it is winter south of the equator.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
All deciduous are bare down here in southern Australia. Hail and sleet yesterday but temps just above freezing, even at night.
