Elm Seiju after trunk chop question

jdstod

I did a trunk chop on this elm the first part of april. The buds had just begun to swell so I chopped it. Well a month later and it is exploding with growth. I was just wondering what is the best thing to do. Should I just let it grow this season and then next season start training the leader and remove the rest or should I pick a leader now and remove everything else? I don't want reverse taper because that is the reason I chopped in the first place.

I have attached a picture of before the chop (it is from last year, I had sliped it into a larger pot last year and let it grow freely). The second is right after the chop and the third is one month after the chop.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Looks like my picture order is messed up, but you get the idea.

Attached Images

	ElmChop4_5_2008.jpg (31.3 KB, 53 views)
	ElmChop5_6_2008.jpg (33.5 KB, 92 views)
	CES_Front.jpg (39.7 KB, 82 views)

__________________
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."

--Albert Einstein

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wicksy

looks like good stock to do something with. i would definately let it go wild now for next year, you need to create a new leader yes it should shoot one that is usable. Try letting it go for awhile till you have a leader where you wont it to go, then trim it back a bit but it needs lots of vigour now to get it to a decent bonsai. Let the new leader go unchecked for even 2 years, you have to get that taper we look for so much. Don,t forget to fertilize it with a higher nitrgen based one, this will help promote growth to.These elms shoot many shoots, you can either rub some off or leave it till dormacy and clean it up. I would follow this procedure for even couple of years,when you think you have got it some where near what you want, then you can refine it to get the layers and dense foliage

bonsaikc

Good work on chopping this tree. The large swelling at the first pair of branches may never have corrected itself. It was more than just a case of reverse taper, the branches were feeding it a lot. I hope you got some good cuttings to start from what you cut off.

This is a good moment to point out something to all those who are considering trunk chops. I notice you cut this at an angle, hoping to get buds to pop at the top edge, yes? But notice where the buds came out. The highest ones are lower, which will mean recutting that bit in the future.

When you chop a trunk, always do it a little higher than you need and always do it straight across, unless you already have an established branch for a new leader. Let the stub dry out, carve after your new leader is strong and in no danger of drying up. Trunk chops on an angle invariably bud at the lower level of the cut, almost never budding where we want.

This technique will prevent repeated cuts shorter and shorter on the tree, and by cutting back more slowly, you can achieve the tree you want.

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Chris Johnston
Sashi-no-eda.blogspot.com

Kansas City Area Workshops 2008

jdstod

Yea, this was my second attempt at a trunk chop and had read both angle cuts and straight cuts. My first was a straight, but my tree died, I figured I would try it angled this time (not to say my other died because I did it straight).

bonsaikc I think I will have to agree with you that straight is the way to go. Anyway not a huge setback, but I do like to do things as simple and best I can and I try to learn from my mistakes. As Einstein said "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." Well bonsai is new to me and I figure I will make plenty of mistakes! The key is don't keep doing them.

I will try to do a virt and post what I envision of this tree.

__________________
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."

--Albert Einstein

raskolnikov

I don't want reverse taper because that is the reason I chopped in the first place.

I'm glad I saw this post. I am in a similar position with my seju elm. I was too reluctant to chop the trunk, though. Instead I put it in the ground, pruned back the top portion of the tree and now I am trying to get a strong branch to feed the lower end of the trunk and fatten it up. My hope is that by fattening the trunk I won't have to do a heavy chop and forfeit the top growth.