Hi all... I've got a little Chinese Elm mallsai, since a few years, which I never properly styled so I decided to go for a radical approach.
And I decided to hard-prune it, assuming that, always having been a very vigorous tree, it would recover with new buds pretty soon.
It's stll cold here in Northern Italy but spring is about to arrive.
In the pics you can see how it was before, how it is now, and my target style.
One problem that I see is that the main two branches below the apex are at the same level rather than being alternate. So I'll have to get rid of one of them in the future.
What do you think? Any suggestion?
Thanks everybody!
PS I always remind that all my trees (but a Ficus Retusa) are outside all year round, this is just my picture spot...

I´d get rid of the left bar branch right away

OK Mimo, so like this (red mark)?
And what about the small branch pointing backwards I left below in the trunk (blue arrow)? Chop it away as well, I presume...
Thanks!

Ricky73 wrote: And what about the small branch pointing backwards I left below in the trunk (blue arrow)? Chop it away as well, I presume...
Thanks!

...or chop the entire trunk and start completely over with that little branch as new leader...

Ricky73 wrote: OK Mimo, so like this (red mark)?
And what about the small branch pointing backwards I left below in the trunk (blue arrow)? Chop it away as well, I presume...
Thanks!

Yes. If you really wanna go for your desired shape as on the last pic, remove it then too.
But as Luc wrote, there are many possibilities with this one.
I would probably airlayer the top and start over with 2 new trees.

Mimo wrote: I would probably airlayer the top and start over with 2 new trees.

Probably the best idea: otherwise you will never get rid of that "mallsai S"

A general rule is to remove branches on the inside of a curve. So I would remove the left branch

OK this can be a good plan.
My only problem is that I do not have now hormones to boost root growth, and I am not sure Amazon would deliver them being in Covid-19 quarantine.
So... my other question is... where would you place the airlayer?
I believe the best thing would be at position A, chopping the trunk below mark 1, obtaining a small mame, and then of course chop at mark 2 and get another small tree... or would you airlayer at position 2?
Thanks a lot for all your feedback!

I’d go for an air layer in B, aiming for the new position to be tilted to the left...

I would go for B as well.
And you really do not need any root hormone for airlayering chinese elm
Even basic "bonsai soil" would work for a substrate.
Just give it full sun and lots of water.
BUT I would wait with airlayering until the tree starts to grow visibly and branches get some nice extensions.
At the current state it is not a good idea.