...And here's the result of the first wiring. I trimmed everything back except those shoots that really need to bulk up faster than the rest. Also selected the front.
This tree has pretty poor branching - only 1 on the front side (for initial branching). Because of this, in the spring I'll thread graft a new branch where the arrow is. That branch will come forward a bit. The dead core will be carved out to produce a tapered hollow (for the near future). Ultimately it will certainly go straight down through to the soil. There's no good way to completely stop the rot with such a large wound.
I plan to make something of an oak-style broom form; a hoary old oak looking thing. The only really nice thing about it is the rootage. Chinese elms don't usually have a 360 degree radial root flare. For that at least I'm happy.
I shot a bunch of photos and will shoot its development over the next 3 to 5 years for an article. Time will tell if it can be salvaged for a decent bonsai. I'm optimistic.
Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/
zone 8, Texas