It lost an inner branch very early in its development and I've never been able to get another started. Its major bend was present when I got the tree. I tried to exagerate it - but it came back a bit. It has a nice full canopy in full leaf (around 13 inch depth) but I'm not yet happy with the overall form.
Mike Moore (11-15-95) - Yes, lots of years and tender growing went into this Elm....don't shoot me, but have you considered rafting this specimen? From my armchair, it looks like you have at least 4 nice candidates growing on the right side. Lop off the frumpy top above the 4th horizontal right branch. Lay it horizontal, trim the left growing branches, slit the cambium from the new top cut to the base with two parallel cuts, apply your favorite rooting hormone, and cross your fingers. What to do with the root ball? Make a mountain out of a molehill at first. Once new roots have developed, you can hack the base end off too.
Michael Johnson (11-15-95) - I'd rather not sound like a broken record, but I think the elm can be helped by tilting it over to the left and using the branch that goes to the right near the top as the apex. Then you can work on a "Hand of Buddha" style tree. For an illustration of what I mean, take a look in Remy Samson's book "The Creative Art of Bonsai" on page 53, the picture of the Japanese White Pine.
John Yasaki (11-16-95) - A little too tall and kind of a weird trunk shape in the middle third. Slant and foliage makes it look as if it has fallen over and is on it's last legs. I think I would chop it off (either chop or airlayer) just before the trunk starts back left (just above a convenient branch for an apex) and cut the 23" down to about 6 or 8". Develop a nice canopy, and you're on your way. This will also straighten up the tree, and put the apex nearer the center of the trunk/soil junction.
Michael Persiano (11-16-95) - All bonsai have positive and negative characteristics: the specimen has a nice taper and a strong inclination towards the left which could be used to benefit the tree; the specimen also has a noticeable empty space on the lower left and is in need of significant improvements in foliar density.
Suggested Approach: By looking at the photograph, it is difficult to say if its current front should be the front of the bonsai. The tree's strong inclination towards the left may be pointing to the front of the tree and, if practicable, would present viewers with a strong termination point. I would consider working the tree from what is currently its left side. This reorientation may assist you in filling in what is now an obvious flaw in the tree. As with the other elm, in the spring I would cut back on the growth leaving 3-4 leaves per shoot. Elms, when properly fertilized, will produce phenomenal growth and bud back. I would take advantage of the back budding (especially on the trunk) and target certain buds for additional branch development. The bonsai artist's palette is growth. Without it, the artist is at a significant disadvantage and cannot promote ramification.
Mr Guest (3-12-96) - Interesting as this tree seems, I would suggest that you sell it to some other grower and give them the problem or follow Mr. Yasaki's suggestion. If I was presented with this tree for a Demo I would immediately develop the upper portion of the tree to form a canopy through judicious wiring, reduce all the lower branches except initially the lower one and make the image one of a field tree as opposed to a forrest tree. I would not wire down any branches in my wiring but wire the branches up and drop the outer area of the foliage mass to emulate a natural tree. Elms are not Ceders. Pot in a long rectangle with etreme space of two thirds. The width of the pot should not be wider than the apex and indeed may have to be reduced to fit into the image.