This Cedar elm, Ulmus crassifolia, is showing about as much fall color as I can usually expect from the species. It’s not much, but I like it nonetheless. I washed the trunk today, and wanted to do just a little trimming and put wire on that low right branch. Everything else has grown well, and I got a lot of corky branching this year. My goal with this tree is to use grow and clip as much as possible, as I refine the branch structure. All in all, I’m pleased with the two years’ worth of training this tree has gotten so far.
For those of you familiar with Cedar elm, this will come as no surprise. Check out the healing on that chop! Cedar elms roll scars over very quickly. In fact, this wound will likely close in the next growing season. I need to do a little carving to ensure it’s all smooth. I’ll do that either now or in spring; it won’t matter which.
I trimmed out some interior shoots that had formed at the base of branches – this is common with many species – and removed others that have no place in the final design. And that unruly branch on the right makes more sense now (but I’ll let it grow out next spring in order to thicken the base more.
As often happens, turning this tree has given me an alternative idea about the best front. I’d love to hear what you think about the two choices. Leave me a comment. I’m pretty sure a repotting is in the cards for 2019.
There’s more work to do on the tapering transition, of course. I’ll let a shoot in the apex run in 2019, and that will cause the base of the new apex to thicken up very nicely. That should make the transition nice and smooth by next fall.
I prefer the latter option for the simple reason that it shows a better taper towards the apex. Have you thought of removing the strong branch that grows out of the inside of the elbow towards the top (that would also eliminate the bar-branch effect at that point)? Wiring down the highest branch on the right would fill that new negative space at the same time as it would eliminate a competitor for the apex. But then, perhaps, you have other plans.
I’ll have to look closely at the branch set when it comes time to repot. This tree, as often happens, gave me branches the way it wanted to as opposed to the way I would prefer. So I worked with what I had. But there’s always room to consider alternatives. Thank you for the suggestions, Pierre.
zach,
i really like this tree. I haven’t had much luck with Chinese Elms so I just might have ti try one of your
Cedar Elms. You always seem to acquire so very awesome trees. Right now I am working on increasing my collection of Oak TREES ALONG WITH conifers that are on the RED LIST of endangered trees, have been doing great on this project along with my 2000 year Ponderosa trees seed;lings which are now years old and looking great
I think a little carving on the chop will be a great help in making is look so much smoother, keep up the great work and see what yo came up with in the Spring
Thank you, Bob. This tree may be ready to go sometime next year. Stay tuned.