每日吃瓜

Hi,

Not sure if I should have posted in the “Help me!” section as I’m a beginner, apologies if I am in the wrong place.

I was recently gifted a chinese elm bonsai and it looks a bit wonky (it doesn’t have this clearly defined structure that is normally present in chinese elms). I’m however completely failing at imagining what its shape should be in my head. I tried to prune it a bit today and I don’t know if I made it better or worse, but I’m sure that I didn’t fix it.

Internet normally suggests to just support the pre-existing shape of the tree but the issue is that it already came in wonky. I’ve attached pictures from all four sides for guidance. I think in the second picture you can see that there is this weirdly dense area/branch, where I have trouble identifying which branch new branches are stemming from. Any advice would be appreciated, even if it’s redirecting me to websites that outline what to do in this situation.

I cannot see the pictures.

My guess is that the tree is kept indoors hence the leggy growth. In bonsai it is plant health first and design second. Chinese Elm needs to be outside and should not be prunned this late in fall (if you are in the northern hemisphere that is)

You have a mallsai, a mass produced ( by the 1000s) in large fields, which all look the same. They are grown with the typical s shape and branches in the same spot, chopped to a certain hight. So, they all look wonky. Takes someone who knows what he is doing and 15-20 years to turn this into something “not wonky”.
Apart from that: your tree needs to be outside ( if it’s not already below zero in your part of the world). Inside it will die