Trunk pruning Chinese elm

[Jaberwky17]

Not sure if anyone addressed this or not but your tree does not look vigorous. Do you grow it indoors? Did you just recently defoliate it? As is you wont get much branch regrowth or the healing over a knob that you reduce until that thing gets stronger and starts growing, and I mean really growing

It had frozen roots and I thought it was dead. All leaves dropped off and before it was headed for the burn pile I noticed buds. So it's just now regrowing all its foliage. When it stops being a bajillion below zero it will live outside with my other trees.

 

[Cypress]

It had frozen roots and I thought it was dead. All leaves dropped off and before it was headed for the burn pile I noticed buds. So it's just now regrowing all its foliage. When it stops being a bajillion below zero it will live outside with my other trees.

Aren't trees in the winter supposed to lose their leaves? Lol. Sorry, just seems weird you would go burn it or bring it completely inside just because the soil is frozen and it's lost its leaves... instead of waiting for spring for it to come out of dormancy normally. Haha, all my deciduous trees don't have leave on right now, I hope they're not dead.

 

[Cypress]

I guess Minnesota get's colder than the devils asscrack though! Especially with this polar vortex thing going on.

 

[Sekibonsai]

One of my elms has a large unsightly knob at the lower apex where it was chopped some years ago. I'd like to reduce that knob or knuckle. My understanding is that the elms ability to heal chops or large wounds isn't the best. Should I plan to cut off the entire amount I want and then manage healing, or try to remove a little at a time over a longer number of years?

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I think any approach is going to lead to the same result- an ugly scar. It will take many years for this scar to heal- I would recommend shaping and hollowing it into a uro and make it a point of interest. You aren't really going to be able to carve it down and get it to heal over/disappear in any reasonable time. You could leave it as a carved out knob or remove a large quantity of wood, extending it, to give the illusion of taper. Search YouTube for Graham Potter videos and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.

I have a Cedar Elm that has had a large hollow for over a decade. It is now actually a feature.

As for the branches, I'm going to suggest going against the grain of everyone's advice and consider leaving them. Think "Disney Haunted Tree" or better yet Google for images and you'll see what I mean. You are going for an ancient lowland tree.

The styling of these branches will involve extreme bending- forget what "looks right" - you are going to exaggerate... You will cut back to side branches to create abrupt bends, etc. In the future the severe styling will smooth out as the branches increase in size and taper. Look at Dan Robinson's work and how these trees have ultimately been refined (Ms. Ridgeway's touch I believe)

Any of these branches that you decide to remove can be hollowed and extended to reinforce the image... You won't use lime sulfur as a final colorant- you can use it to control decay but color with inks - dark ones.

Proceed slow and steady. Sketch some options so you have a clear path. But only attempt this when your tree has clearly shown its good health.