Elm advise

[chappy56]

Here's an Elm I've had for awhile that I'm looking for some advise on.
Before you go there, I'd like to keep the deadwood, at least for now.
I cleaned it all up today and will seal it in the next day or two.
I would like some advise though on what to keep and what to prune.
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[TheSteve]

I would get rid of the jin, it dominates the scene. Then carve the shari down into the jin scar. Then wire all the branches out flatter and trim into a nice even dome shape.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Oh Chappy... I'm not a big fan of this tree. Start at the nebari and work your way up. The nebari on this tree is very very bad. You have a large mono root to the right and a bunch of curled up stumpy roots to the left. The trunk has a strong taper, but it is ruined right now by the jin, the huge scar, and the branch structure that starts abruptly on the left.

Personally, I would start over from scratch with this tree. I would get it out of the current pot and into a grow box. Then I would try a ground layer to try to create an entirely new nebari. I would probably wack everything else off as short as I could go - getting rid of the jin and possibly even cutting below the huge trunk scar and reworking the scar into something that will heal quickly.

Good news is that it is an elm, so that in a couple years you could have a completely new tree.

 

[Tiberious]

The only thing that really needs to go is the jin imo. You could make a nice uro when your remove it, clean up the big scar a bit by sanding the edges down so it will heal faster. The tree has character even if it does not fit into a stereotypical bonsai. If you find interest in it the way it is, then that is what is important. I have trees that I will never change because I like them and have for many years. Trees in nature seldom follow any bonsai rules. The broom also looks natural and I would personally keep. Thanks for posting.

 

[Jay Wilson]

Chappy,
I have to agree with the others that this tree is a challenge. Here's a thread that may give some ideas.

http://www.internationalbonsaiforum.com/index.php?topic=177.0