AusBonsai

Hi ladies and gents. I managed to score this little fella over the weekend. He looks healthy and has a nice wide base so I think he has pretty good potential. It's the "Todd" cultivar of a Chinese elm, but it looks like a graft union about 4" from the base so I have no idea what the root stock is. I reckon I'll chop it just under that graft because it's a bit ugly so I guess it's pot luck to see what cultivar I actually have.

Anyway, google doesn't tell me a whole lot about Todd, especially in relation to bonsai. I'm wondering if I air layer him at the graft union and keep the rest of the tree, or just chop him and use it as firewood? I don't think there's a lot of interest above the graft but if it's a good species for bonsai I might keep it just to start it off with a nice fat trunk.

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you could graft just above “hand” level to just above the small branch on the right. remove the straight left branch and the straight trunk leaving only the small right branch. That would give you a fat base to start a new tree. Just as a suggestion.
Once you get your airlayer I would cut down to the graft as the bark and fat base look good allow it to grow and see what the grafting stock is.
Cheers
Kirky

Thanks for that @KIRKY, good idea. I probably won't get roots between now and end of winter when I chop the trunk, but I'll give it a go. Nothing to lose. I'm a bit concerned that there's some ugly reverse taper where that first branch comes off though :-S

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The reverse taper would be the start of your trunk/nebari so should grow out remember the cuts would be on three sides. Below, to the side and above.
Cheers
Kirky

Ahhh, so we're talking something like this? It's probably academic anyway because I doubt I'll have roots by trunk chopping time.

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So.......why chop now? why not layer in spring and layer at 3 places then chop? Feed well now, it looks deficient, it should have strong green leaves

No, I wasn't planning on chopping it now. I was thinking of air layering now and hoping I had roots by trunk chop o'clock. Somehow I doubt it

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When is your planned trunk chop o'clock? Elms are pretty hardy and will strike roots readily. Also you don't need to have alot of roots for them to survive unlike others such as Maples. Re your red lines for airlay yes thats what I was thinking except the point in the L. I would round it more like someone took a bite out of it. That way you would have a cup shaped bottom surrounded by roots on your new trunk base. The little branch on the right would be your new leader.
Cheers
Kirky

re planned air layer: Removing the side branch looks like it will give another straight trunk with little taper. (hard to assess relative angles from a single 2d picture) That's OK for a broom style tree but not so good for any sort of informal upright. Looking at that angle I would consider removing the larger trunk behind and use the smaller one as the continuation of the trunk. That would give better taper as well as a bend in the trunk. If you go this way a change of angle for the layer would probably produce a root system better aligned with the new trunk angle.
As Paul has said, probably not really worth delaying to layer less than perfect material from a less than perfect tree. I would do the trunk cut in spring and use the top for firewood.

Not sure about layering above the graft as I don’t know anything about the Todd variety, but standard type Chinese elms can root an air layer in 2 weeks. You might have time. 2 weeks until roots can be visible but you might need longer to get an adequate amount to sustain the later once separated. That tree looks expensive, maybe you should wait until spring, just in case?

Beano wrote:That tree looks expensive, maybe you should wait until spring, just in case?

I don't do expensive, It's a rescue tree

Thanks for your imput guys. I reckon I'll chuck an air layer down this weekend and see what sort of roots I have by August or September and either keep the layer and chop the trunk to the graft union, or discard everything above the graft.

I can see the different bark on the trunk which looks very much like a graft point but I would be very surprised if it was grafted. Chinese elm grows so easily from cuttings that grafting does not make any sense. It is possible that the different colour may indicate the older bark on the original cutting or root cutting in which case cutting anywhere will still yield the same variety. I am also not aware of any 'Todd' Chinese elm. Maybe that name just refers to the grower or supplier?
Just wondering if it would be worth asking where you got it if they know any history or who grew it.

A google search with entry 'Ulmus parvifolia Todd' returned quite a few results including this comment on one site,

Mt William Advanced Tree Nursery only grow budded forms of Ulmus parvifolia. These are far superior to seedling and cutting grown forms. Budded forms tend to develop a dominant leader with less maintenance, form and branch structure are better and are inclined to have less included bark branch unions than the seedling form.The bark of this U. parvifolia exfoliates in irregular patches, revealing beautiful mottled colours of grey, green, orange and brown.

So maybe it is grafted!?!

good find Dansai
Now I'm happy to go along with grafted tree.