Wanting to Chop my Chinese Elm
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:49 pm
I was reading that with Chinese Elm it is best to heavy prune in the fall, because this causes less scarring. What I'm wondering is if "heavy pruning" includes chopping the trunk?
[img]https://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x103/littlegirl550/Bonsai/ElmChopIdeas.jpg[/img]
This is my elm (after a quick pruning, so it looks a lil sparse), purchased from Bonsai Boy. I'm kinda blah about the top and the more I've looked at it, the more I realize that the "S" shape is causing a slight ribbon effect in the trunk, making it look like it has a reverse taper in some places.
I'm thinking of chopping at the red vertical line and using the branch there (which is actually pointed forward ATM) as the new top. It is a well-established branch, though, so it might take some heavy "convincing." I know Chinese elms tend to bud easily, so perhaps it would be easier to just grow a new top entirely?
Any advice or ideas? Especially along the lines of doing a chop this time of year - because trunk chops are always so ugly... Anything to make it less ugly would be ideal. (There is currently an ugly chop facing the back, where the top branches out.)
I'd luv some feedback. Thnx in advance, everyone.
[img]https://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x103/littlegirl550/Bonsai/ElmChopIdeas.jpg[/img]
This is my elm (after a quick pruning, so it looks a lil sparse), purchased from Bonsai Boy. I'm kinda blah about the top and the more I've looked at it, the more I realize that the "S" shape is causing a slight ribbon effect in the trunk, making it look like it has a reverse taper in some places.
I'm thinking of chopping at the red vertical line and using the branch there (which is actually pointed forward ATM) as the new top. It is a well-established branch, though, so it might take some heavy "convincing." I know Chinese elms tend to bud easily, so perhaps it would be easier to just grow a new top entirely?
Any advice or ideas? Especially along the lines of doing a chop this time of year - because trunk chops are always so ugly... Anything to make it less ugly would be ideal. (There is currently an ugly chop facing the back, where the top branches out.)
I'd luv some feedback. Thnx in advance, everyone.