Seeking advice on Chinese Elm

BonsaiBen

I picked up this 3 gallon elm about a month ago. I really liked the potential on this tree with good taper and movement. The buds are just starting to swell a bit and want to start thinking about what I'm going to do with it. I am planning on root pruning it for the first time and replanting it in a growing pot.

Since I will probably be taking off quite a bit of root mass, I'm going to have to prune the top. Any suggestions on how I should start shaping it? Any would be appreciated!

It has nice taper already but I want the trunk to get thicker so I'm going to leave some sacrifice branches at the bottom. Does anyone see an obvious new leader for a trunk chop?

I put the cigarette lighter in the photo to show some perspective of size of course.

Thanks in advance,

Ben

Attached Images

	3-25-05 elm front.jpg (65.1 KB, 48 views)
	3-25-05 elm side.jpg (71.2 KB, 28 views)
	3-35-05 elm back.jpg (69.7 KB, 43 views)
	3-25-05 elm base.jpg (70.7 KB, 32 views)

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jeremy_norbury

Ben

Are you sure this is Chinese Elm? - it looks more like Ulmus 'Jaqueline Hillier' to me.

I have both kinds - Ulmus JH look like this with leaves.: http://www.farmyardnurseries.co.uk/other/ulmusj1.htm

These things grow really fast but the branches can be very straight. They back-bud like crazy - so I'd cut it right back to the first major branch.

I've wandered outside with my camera and taken two photo's of JH and attached them. These are two different trees. In the second photo you can see the trunk chop I performed during the (mild) winter. I'm waiting for it to recover from the root prune before chopping all the way back to the first/second branch.

Jerry

Attached Images

	DSC08530-01.JPG (68.5 KB, 34 views)
	DSC08529-01.JPG (62.4 KB, 221 views)

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BonsaiBen

Thanks for the reply Jeremy. It might just be a Jaqueline Hillier Elm. I bought it at a nursery where it was labeled Ulmus parvifolia without listing the variety, but when I spoke to the people there they said they thought it was mislabeled and was a dwarf variety of Chinese Elm. The guy said it was something like "Samu" so I figured he thought it was a Seiju but it doesn't look like any Seiju I've seen. Since I just got it I've yet to see any foliage on it so right now I have no clue.

I'm a bit apprehensive about taking it back to the first branch since it jutts out at such an angle. Maybe I'll go one or two up?

jeremy_norbury

Seiju looks very much like JH to me from the photos I've seen...never seen one in person though.

I understand your worries, so go two up and take it back to the lowest right branch in this picture:
http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/attachm...achmentid=19992
That leaves you with three serious branches.

Now, something I didn't mention before about JH is that it roots easily from cuttings. Take all the branch material that you cut off and place in a glass of water and place somewhere bright. Roots grow in about 3-5 weeks. I manage to get cuttings rooting of every other tree sort using conventional cutting compost, but with JH I've only had success with this "glass of water" method.

Jerry

__________________

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan
I told you I was ill. Spike Milligan's Gravestone