I purchased a Parfivolia elm bonsai for my girlfriend because they apparently are one of few bonsai trees that do ok indoors. I'm new to bonsai and have many questions. This tree is just a commercially grown thing to look nice but i do not believe its high quality, and i'm in the progress of trying to make my own from willow cuttings to keep outdoors.

My main problems are this -

When do I prune and how do I prune to get a denser canopy? This tree lives indoors by a window.

There is a blunt cut on the trunk which barely hides behind the canopy. Can I change this? Carve it or cut it to stimulate new growth or at least mask the blunt cut so it looks more natural in any way? I don't know... I was thinking maybe if I could thicken the canopy it could then be hidden, however it annoys me that you can see the blatant handy work of the "artist". The cut is at the top of the trunk, and is healed up flat. The tree is 9 years old.

Thanks for any answers. It's in her flat ATM so I will try and Snap a picture when I'm there next.

oh yeah and Also, I don't know how often I need to prune this tree or when. There is also a branch on the trunk below the main canopy which I don't really like... And a few stubs where others have been cut off. Should I cut it off? If so, when? I'm going to buy a book on this but appreciate any advice! its 9 years old.

The first thing yo need to know is thy do not do well inside. They are short lived when kept inside. Without a picture it is impossible to know what this plant looks like.

This is the best I can do at the moment... This is what it looks like. Thanks

troll alert.
You must realize that this is not a picture and does not in any sense relate to what the tree is like.

Troll alert? As I said I'm new. So don't expect me to know that... I still think that picture is a good depiction. You can see the problems because I clearly highlighted them. But I'm probably wrong. Don't bully the newby man.

Does your phone not have a camera?

Perhaps some annotation might be helpful. While the... image may make perfect sense to you, it fails to convey more than the most rudimentary sense of the plant to those of us who haven't seen it. A photograph is more helpful than a rough sketch because of the details that more experienced gardeners see when they look at the plant.

Thank you!

The plant is at my girlfriend's place and she's out of town . So I'll get that when I'm there.

The problems on the picture are the blunt cut at the top which clearly shows the handywork of the artist, and I don't know if that thicker branch at the bottom should be there, because maybe it's taking nutrients?

jacobplopo wrote: because maybe it's taking nutrients?

It is not. Read up on how plants grow. If you have fertiliser and use it, your plant is not lacking nutrients.

Ok thanks! I've got a book coming in the post. Can the blunt cut be amended?

jacobplopo wrote: Ok thanks! I've got a book coming in the post. Can the blunt cut be amended?

In general, yes, with a lot of growth and patience, after many years. Hard to tell though, as far as I know we have never seen a photo?