I’m sure you remember this American elm, Ulmus Americana, that I first posted last month. My goal with this tree is to train it into a classic American elm shape, what’s called vase-shape. I did the initial wiring on March 11th, and left the tree completely alone to grow out and set the position of the leaders. American elm is a vigorous grower, even in a bonsai pot, so I figured I’d get a lot of the basic development done this year.
Here’s the same tree six weeks later. The main leader has gained a solid foot of growth, which has thickened it significantly at the base. The secondary leaders have also put on strong growth. My main goal today is to trim the tree back to its vase-shape, and to reposition the trunk to a more upright position.
Here’s the final result. I cut the central leader back a little harder than the others, to allow them a chance to catch up in girth. I also carved the original chop, in order to make the tapering of the trunk smoother.
This tree is available for sale on our Elm Bonsai & Pre-Bonsai page.