Hey guys, sup? I've recently received an Ulmus parvifolia from a friend as gift! It is a 2 year-old tree, so it hasn't developed a lot. Therefore, I would like some suggestions when it comes to thickening its trunk. Thanks!
Judicious pruning only.
Unrestrained growth will give fastest thickening but can also give plain ugly trunks that will take many years to heal up, if ever. Need to bear in mind some possible places to cut back to in order to develop new branches and apex as well as the sheer size of the final cuts. I'd rather spend a couple of extra years growing the trunk in order to save time rehabilitating an ugly end product.
Just my 2c after many years of field growing for bonsai.