Ground growing elm progression and air layers

[Rodrigo]

Air layer has kept putting out new buds so I think I'm in the clear. I'll repot it in the spring probably into a grow bag, and depending on how it grows next year, I'll chop both trunks low down to improve taper



I've left the mother plant alone to see what happened with the top. It's been more than a week and the broken part is still green and growing, in comparison to the branches I cut off which turned brown in a day or two so I think it survived the breakage. I'm thinking I'll leave it over winter so it can keep thickening down low and will chop next year. Unfortunately I may be moving in March so I may have to chop in spring.



The next trunk section I plan on cutting to is growning and already thickening well. I'm hoping to get as much thickening as possible while it's still in the ground. At the ground, the base is 1.5" thick, which is insane considering the pencil thick trunk I planted in March of '23

 

[Rodrigo]

Update and general question/advice please and thank you!

Update: The elm in the ground didn't miss a stride in the top falling over. The new leader has kept growing and fattened up considerably even since the last update




The other side:


Now on to the advice.
I'm not sure if I'm staying at this house when my lease is up in March so I don't think chopping next summer is viable. As you can see it's still green and I don't think it's going to change color for another 3 weeks or a month. Should I chop now so hopefully it can start healing over this next month or wait until early spring but potentially have to chop and dig up at the same time?

Follow up question, I'm chopping at a perpendicular angle to the trunk, should I leave a stump or cut to the final height? Reason for the question is, if I'm trying to take advantage of it starting to heal while still in the ground, then leaving a stump would be pointless, right? Because I'd have to Recut it next year anyway

 

[Rodrigo]

Any ideas?

 

[Hack Yeah!]

I assume if the roots cooperate your chop will be in the back, I'd go ahead and cut it.