Elm Root Cuttings

[Smoke]

I posted this during the winter on my blog, but decided to share it here. Root cuttings are the number one way elms are propagted in China. They are propagated by the thousands. Thousands of acres of elms are grown and sold for the bonsai trade.







All these trees need pots for western clients.

 

[Smoke]

The above pictures come from No Bai De when he worked in the fields in China.
During the winter, I repotted a large elm clump and took many roots off. Most of it was hacked off the bottom of the plant with a cleaver. The roots were just thrown in a bucket of water to be handles later. In fact they can be kept in the water for weeks in temperate climates like where I live. Some of you would still see your cuttings in an ice cube.

 

[Smoke]

The next day I took the roots and trimmed them up. Mostly I wanted a shoot with some roots on it. They were planted in a colander with normal bonsai mix.

 

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Here they are tonight. Soon I will be picking leaders and allowing just a few to grow. Some of the short stubby ones are over an inch across and will be broom style trees.

 

[Smoke]

Soon the root tissue that is exposed will begin the change over to above ground tissue and side branches will emerge from the trunks.

 

[cockroach]

That is awesome. The stores here are flooded with elm cutting 'bonsai'.
What percentage of the cuttings took?
How long did it take between planting and sprouting?

 

[barrosinc]

Awesome! I have an elm that will soon go into a bonsai container and get some root work done. I might have to try this.

 

[Anthony]

Ha ha Al,

you finally know the truth and the secret. ALL of our elms are from root cuttings, and wait until you try barrel growing, see how big [and fast ] the trunks get.
Have fun.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Smoke]

Ha ha Al,

you finally know the truth and the secret.
Anthony

Seriously?

ALL of our elms are from root cuttings, and wait until you try barrel growing, see how big [and fast ] the trunks get.
Have fun.
Good Day

Your post sounds like you should be able to show us a picture of "ALL of your elms". Would love to see some barrels and big elms grown in them. Words mean nothing, pictures speak volumes.

Last year I had three trees in Kokufu, ALL of our trees are doing well too.

 

[Smoke]

These are the elms I potted this year from the root cuttings I did in 2008.

 

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Here they are after potting this year.

 

[Smoke]

The last four.









They are far from being finished but I needed to slow them down by putting them in these small pots. Problem is, the small pots are not slowing them down. They have already been pruned twice this spring and are ready to be pruned right now. They are much better now since these photos, because the growth is much more compact. They will be photographed later in the summer when the heat really slows them down.

 

[Smoke]

You should see that last one right now. The lovely sky blue Bigei pot has wires and guy wires and wired branches all over it. Poor thing.

This most recent post is the process all over again starting 8 new elms from root cuttings. I'm just showing the "whole" process this time. Does that make sense Anthony?

 

[milehigh_7]

I was able to do two that are about 1" or so. I hope I did not screw up by sealing the top. I think that might have been wrong looking over your posts.

 

[Smoke]

What did you seal it with? If it was clay type putty it will push it off, if it was toothpaste tube type stuff that is elastic, I would try and recut the end and just leave it. Check with a magnifying glass first, these things are tough and they may just push thru paste or not.

It takes about 90 days to push buds from potting the roots.

 

[milehigh_7]

What did you seal it with? If it was clay type putty it will push it off, if it was toothpaste tube type stuff that is elastic, I would try and recut the end and just leave it. Check with a magnifying glass first, these things are tough and they may just push thru paste or not.

It takes about 90 days to push buds from potting the roots.

It was the paste kind... It looks like they are or were... trying to push through. I'll snap a picture tomorrow.

 

[milehigh_7]

It was the paste kind... It looks like they are or were... trying to push through. I'll snap a picture tomorrow. Oh I think I am still in the 90 day window so I might be good.

 

[Anthony]

Al,

sorry, I couldn't resist teasing you. Kokufu, man more power to you.

Beautiful efforts by the way.

Have you thought about trying this, take one of those cuttings and place in a coarse soil mix, in a long container [ we used an umbrella stand, it was plastic ] and let the roots grow.
Then redo the process of the root cutting on the shapes you get out of the mix.
Gives amazing trees.

Also works on Fukien tea and the Chinese snow rose and quite a few other plants.

We don't seal the cuts as they heal naturally, as the plant grows.

Will send some images in a day or two.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Anthony]

Al,

I forgot to say, look for unstable genes. Off of the mother plants down here, we have a few mutations. A weeping elm, but it is a bit problematic as it keeps killing off small branches, and one that keeps making half circles out of the branches it grew off from.
The mother plant is however quite normal.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[milehigh_7]

Al,

I forgot to say, look for unstable genes. Off of the mother plants down here, we have a few mutations. A weeping elm, but it is a bit problematic as it keeps killing off small branches, and one that keeps making half circles out of the branches it grew off from.
The mother plant is however quite normal.
Good Day
Anthony

This is true. Elms do sport with fair regularity that's what Hokkaido and the others are. Also there is a contorted caitlin elm.