Styling this small corkbark elm help
- Thread starter jdutton24
- Start date
Jrmcmich
Shohin
If you want to thicken trunk seems like just let it grow and can decide later how to do leader as your current one probably will be gone to get taper and movement. You at least have some movement in trunk to start with. Assume you have good drainage holes in that container as well.
River's Edge
Masterpiece
The question is when will I choose a new leader to devellop taper? Not how much more of the tree should I wore.
The answer is approximately fine years from now! By then the lower trunk should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and the first lower branch should be wired up with one near by wired down.
Headhunter843
Seedling
Ahhhh, 5 years.... The wait is my favorite part. Not! 
I agree though. That should be a nice tree in 5 years. As for now I like the curved branch taking over as the apex.
I agree though. That should be a nice tree in 5 years. As for now I like the curved branch taking over as the apex.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Well.. If you have space .. plant it in the ground and you will have 2 inches in 2 years if well watered and fertilized. (I just this week checked on a corkbark elm in my garden that was pencil sized spring 2023. Now it is getting in the 2-3 inch range, standing at 7ft tall and wide, ready for some serious pruning next year / this winter.
Jrmcmich
Shohin
Do you normally wait until spring to plant in ground after doing some initial root work? Have been thinking I need To try couple in ground myself
Ininaatigoons
Shohin
Root work early spring plant in ground before it leafs out is best. Leave it alone for a year or more. Check roots, chop what needs to be chopped, turn and or change angle, spread roots, and let it grow for another year or so. Repeat. Never a bad idea to train branches that won't be included in final design as you may wish to air layer. Also... In the ground and grow box I don't wire. Wire cuts in very quickly when growth is fast. I do use rudimentary methods of nylon rope and tent stakes or tape reverse side and posts or even heavy gaged wire and you can wrap with reverse tape or raffia or parachute cord. Traditionally chop and grow is the best method to grow a trunk. One key thing to keep in mind is final design and final height of design. If you want the 6:1 ratio or 10:1 ratio you gotta make sure that base is close to the diameter you want because when you chop thickening slows considerably. At least until you have close to the mass you had had before the chop.
You might grow a tree 5' cut it back to 2' and it will shoot out lots of branches. Now you let everything grow and hopefully the lowest branch is the future leader. All those other branches are sacrificial and will contribute a great deal to the thickening of the base. Eventually when it's close to the diameter you want chop everything else but the branch you intend to be the next section. You can keep another that hopefully sprouts from that wound and that will be branch #1. This first branch you'll want to keep in check whilst the next section grows wild follow step 1 for that next section. Repeat until the tree has all the main branches set. Then you can put in a pot or training pot and work on refinement.
The bigger the tree the longer it takes. In as little as half a dozen years to decades.
You might grow a tree 5' cut it back to 2' and it will shoot out lots of branches. Now you let everything grow and hopefully the lowest branch is the future leader. All those other branches are sacrificial and will contribute a great deal to the thickening of the base. Eventually when it's close to the diameter you want chop everything else but the branch you intend to be the next section. You can keep another that hopefully sprouts from that wound and that will be branch #1. This first branch you'll want to keep in check whilst the next section grows wild follow step 1 for that next section. Repeat until the tree has all the main branches set. Then you can put in a pot or training pot and work on refinement.
The bigger the tree the longer it takes. In as little as half a dozen years to decades.
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The one on the right in the first pic should be wired up? Then the one slightly higher and left wired down?
River's Edge
Masterpiece
confusing my bad. The one slightly lower on the left wired down. One continues the trunk line ( the right branch) the other slightly lower on the left becomes the primary branch and is on the outside of a bend. Suitable placement when the trunk thickens it will be appropriately placed for a first branch.
So this will be easier I color coded branches lol
What I think will be front
What I think might be back
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