Chinese Elm hard prunning?

[bonsaichile]

Hey everybody! I have a Chinese elm that I got last year. I want to prune it hard so I can rebuild the branch structure. When is an appropriate time to do so? Now, when the buds haven't swelled yet? Or after the first flush of leaves has hardened off?

Thanks!

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Now

 

[Anthony]

Have you fed it for at least a month so it has energy to bud out ?
Good Day
Anthony

 

[bonsaichile]

Thank you, Jerry! Anthony, no, I have not feed it. It is still dormant, as it is the end of winter here.

 

[Victorim]

Been toying with the idea of completely regrowing the branches on my Chinese Elm. It's a malsai S shape, is indoors on a wondowsil. Had a repot, full bare root from whatever muck it was in and is now on weekly feed (also some slow release) and it's really throwing out growth. The more I trim the more it buds.. the branching on it is all over the place and the only way I can really see to remedy it is just to cut back to the trunk and rebuild. If growth is strong would this be a good time to do it? Or get it out in the summer, then let it go dormant and cut back next spring?

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Been toying with the idea of completely regrowing the branches on my Chinese Elm. It's a malsai S shape, is indoors on a wondowsil. Had a repot, full bare root from whatever muck it was in and is now on weekly feed (also some slow release) and it's really throwing out growth. The more I trim the more it buds.. the branching on it is all over the place and the only way I can really see to remedy it is just to cut back to the trunk and rebuild. If growth is strong would this be a good time to do it? Or get it out in the summer, then let it go dormant and cut back next spring?

Big pot outside, then chop hard in early summer.

They usually don't go dormant - our Chinese elms come from a warm part of China.

 

[Victorim]

Big pot outside, then chop hard in early summer.

They usually don't go dormant - our Chinese elms come from a warm part of China.

In winter outdoors?

 

[ConorDash]

I'm not sure if mine did or not, it basically looked the same for a long time, didn't do anything, didn't drop leaves.. but didn't seem dormant. Maybe just slowed growth to barely anything. I'm still waiting for buds on the 3 elms I got this month, to pop. And my other 2 elms haven't started putting on new growth yet so they must be in some kinda dormancy.

I also wondered best time to hard prune, already done 1 though. Think I'll just go ahead and do the other 2.. if it's a bad time, mistakes will be made, but I don't think it is. Any energy lost, it wouldn't need anyway because those branches will be gone.. it'll need new energy to back bud.

 

[Victorim]

Ah Ok. From reading, I assumed Chinese elms would drop leaves and sleep in our climate out doors.. then logically why would this elm from the internet come to me from an indoor environment.. Conor, if you want to do it now id say save one for when Jeremy says.. see the results / difference for your self

Will give mine the lop in june then.. Cheers Jeremy.

 

[ConorDash]

What's the difference between the 2 dates given? First reply from Jeremy was now then it was early summer.

 

[Victorim]

Assume he was pointing out to me the best time to strip the tree completely... just before the strongest growth time.. (edit see your point now, missed it before)

 

[Anthony]

Elms rest on our side from Christmas until Mid-February - seems to be more by light than cold.
So presently a few of ours are dropping leaves to start spring growth, alla Trinidad.
No rest periods can mean sudden death or branches dying.
But that may happen after 3 to 4 years, much as Japanese maples die after 4 years or so of no
rest.

South China is a zone 9 to 8 and also with height possibly 7.
There is no tropical zone.

So we continue to observe a rest period. [ since 1980 or so ]

Test a few root cuttings for outdoors all year round, not the mother plant, in the UK.
Might need the old south wall exposure.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[sorce]

@ConorDash @Victorim

Smoke has some interesting answers to these questions.

You can chop them whenever but to different effects.

I don't fully remember, but I believe, due to rapid summer growth, summer chops callous heavy(ugly not good), and tend to throw many branches from the cut site.
(which could be valuable in some cases)

Dormant chops, will heal nicer, and won't bud as profusely at the chop site.

Or something like that.

See the Bunker!

Sorce

 

[ConorDash]

Yeh, I always remember Smoke is the man for Chinese elm advice. I've read his blog on them a few times.
What's the bunker, his blog?
At the moment my elms just need pruning but I'm thinking the first elm I ever got, air layered one, at least one of them I might chop trunk a bit.

Anyways, I know this is still on topic but I feel I'm taking away from the original poster. Hopefully he/she still finds this good advice.

 

[sorce]

I feel I'm taking away from the original poster.

You're not!

Sorce