lp80

I attached a pic of the back so you can see the trunk. I'm not sure which view is more desirable to start off with. Thoughts?

I'm not a huge fan of the S curve base since and would have liked something more natural looking.

Salvelinus

You wouldn't have to do it that way. That is a technique to use when you are creating a ramrod-straight formal upright. Yours has movement, so chopping is easier. You do have to dress the wound well to get it to heal nice and quick and so it will blend in better. By that I mean making the base of the wound smooth and creating a clean cut around the perimeter with a very sharp knife.

Like I said in a previous post in this thread, you get taper gradually by growing the tree unhindered for a while, then cutting back to a low branch and training it up into the new apex. Then you grow that on for a while and cut it back...until you get the size you are looking for.

Sorry, I didn't have time to go through that whole thread. You get growth at the tip by cutting back to a branch or waiting (and hoping) for a sprout to occur at the top. You can also graft a branch at the top.

Yours has a flat stump at the top because the person who developed this tree didn't take the time to blend in the wound and encourage it to heal. It can be fixed, though.

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

Salvelinus

I don't mind the S-curve. It could make a very interesting tree, especially as it grows. It could eventually make a nice base. The problem with this tree is the disharmony of the movement of the base paired with the straightness and lack of taper of the top.

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

lp80

Thanks for the advice! Looking at the pic's above which side should be the front of the tree?

Salvelinus

The important thing is, what do YOU think is the front? What do you like best? Use your instincts, select several possibilities, and narrow them down over time.

As for me, I couldn't say right now. I'd want to look at the roots and the trunk from all angles before deciding that. Also, if you did grow this tree on, everything could look completely different in a few years. I have a ficus that I styled with a particular front in mind for several years until I realized my front was actually the back! This was after much development of the roots and trunk. Those are really the most important things to work on first, by the way. Branches and foliage are easy and quick by comparison, especially with an elm.

So I guess what I'm saying is, don't worry too much about the front of the tree right now. Treat every side like the front, and see what happens as the tree develops. Be sure to take pictures along the way--you'll enjoy looking back on them later and will probably be surprised at the progress your tree makes.

Now, having said all that, the front of your tree will be the view that takes the best advantage of the appearance of your surface roots and lower trunk and branching pattern. Preference should be given to width of the base of the trunk, good rootage, and the best view of the trunk movement. I don't think right now that the view with the trunk curving away from you is the best, but like I said before, that may change as the trunk swells and develops.

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson

lp80

Excellent thanks for the advice. The reason I asked was because I read a website which mentioned if the bulge (at the base of the tree) sticks forward its considered "ugly" in the hobby, and it should always bulge backwards.

I will keep you updated on the progress!

If anyone has links on tree trunks (especially for the purpose of tapering/shaping)

Please let me know

Salvelinus

Yes, it's true that a trunk curving toward you doesn't look right, but in this case, given the corkscrew appearance from the back, you will likely be better off with the other side as the preferred view. Like I said before, that may all change in a few years.

For example, please read through this thread, which is a history of the training of the tree I mentioned earlier. You can see that what you end up with after a few years can really surprise you...

__________________
Namaste,

--Scott ><>

"There seems to be no survivors to interview, but I suspect [kamikaze pilots] did not shout 'traytree' the moment before their personal sacrifice." --Herb Gustafson