Growing Elms

cmeg1

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Really want to get growing at the new home.Waiting for seeds to stratify another few weeks.
Kinda' bored,so I made a quick sketch of what I have planned for the trees.

-Grow in 8"-10" low bulb pans.
-First growing season I will probably uproot at least once to make sure roots are radial.
-Wire and contort into interesting shapes.
-Grow sacrifice leaders as fast as possible( in bulb pans) extremely tall so trunk is at least 1.5"-2" thick before I start fiddling with some of them.


I will make batches of these to satisfy my needs to put something in a pot,but there will be some that keep getting bigger in bulb pans that are left to grow and develop.
Chinese elm and zelkova.
I am anticipating 8' or taller sacrifice leaders.Heavy ,heavy feeding.

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Adair M

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What??? No brooms this time?

Say it ain't so!

You were getting pretty good at making brooms!
 

Eric Group

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If you have Elms and Zelkova already, I would repot them, prune their roots and take root cuttings instead of seed. It would save you time and give you interesting shapes to start with
 

cmeg1

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@Adair M .Well,I guess I better try and make at least one good broom zelkova.
I'm really in the mood to create something with branches.I want some rafts too,or at least some falling tree look,somewhat like in my sketch.
Thanks:D

@Eric Group .Cool,I never tried root cuttings.You know how it is when you get a bunch of stock plants going.....cuttings,airlayers.Why not root cuttings.Thanks for the tip!
 

Eric Group

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@Adair M .Well,I guess I better try and make at least one good broom zelkova.
I'm really in the mood to create something with branches.I want some rafts too,or at least some falling tree look,somewhat like in my sketch.
Thanks:D

@Eric Group .Cool,I never tried root cuttings.You know how it is when you get a bunch of stock plants going.....cuttings,airlayers.Why not root cuttings.Thanks for the tip!
I have found Elms to be insanely easy to do from root cuttings, plan to try some Zelkova soon... I'm sure they would do as well.

Got a Chojubai to grow from a root cutting this Spring already, but only one out of about ten actually sprouted... I am hitting more like 90% on the Elms...
 

cmeg1

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Been looking at Chinese Elms at work grow like weeds for 13 years now.
I still have a few weeks till' my seeds are done stratifying,so decided to hoard a bunch of freshly sprouted seedlings from along the curb.
Planted about a hundred.Right on time ,as I was a month late buying my seed this year.
Soaked them in B1.
I also noticed a lone zelkova cutting growing in the old grow bed that I can get cuttings from end of this month too.
 

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M. Frary

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Really want to get growing at the new home.Waiting for seeds to stratify another few weeks.
Kinda' bored,so I made a quick sketch of what I have planned for the trees.

-Grow in 8"-10" low bulb pans.
-First growing season I will probably uproot at least once to make sure roots are radial.
-Wire and contort into interesting shapes.
-Grow sacrifice leaders as fast as possible( in bulb pans) extremely tall so trunk is at least 1.5"-2" thick before I start fiddling with some of them.


I will make batches of these to satisfy my needs to put something in a pot,but there will be some that keep getting bigger in bulb pans that are left to grow and develop.
Chinese elm and zelkova.
I am anticipating 8' or taller sacrifice leaders.Heavy ,heavy feeding.

View attachment 142691
Looks kind of like your drawing.
Except it's a Siberian elm root cutting.20170428_160848.jpg
 

AZbonsai

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I have Chinese elm volunteers I have potted up. My biggest beef is aphids...elms seem to attract them. I have a cork bark same way. I do like them though.
20170430_165325.jpg
 

AZbonsai

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I put these two in chicken scratch for a medium. Wired them together for a while to get them closer thinking of mother/daughter grouping.20170430_165357.jpg
 

cmeg1

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So,hey! It's a Grey bark elm.....right.
Just made 50 cuttings of Grey bark elm.Decided to use pure perlite this year.Will just have to keep an eye on moisture.
I always put the propogator in the shade of high trees,takes about a month or less to grow roots.Zelkova root best for me at semi-ripe.The soft stuff does not make it.
They actually should grow great in the perlite ,so I may give them a full month before I bring in the sun.
If all goes well ,I may not even plant seeds this year.
 

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cmeg1

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Cuttings are way cool to me.It just amazes me that they stay perked up in the propogator.I bring them in at night to keep temps above 50.
Was shining my led's into them to get a look.I bet if I had grow lights and bottom heat these would root in a couple weeks.
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sorce

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My biggest beef is aphids..

My aphids prefer the yard Apple's, tomatoes, then spruce, some 'berry" shrub.....

Never had em on elm.

Maybe introduce an apple Or Tomatoe to catch em...
They should leave your elm Alone!

You positive it's aphids? Gotta. Ask.

Sorce
 

cmeg1

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11 days and I can see roots and callusing.
Perlite is the way to go for cuttings.I have a feeling that these are going to have real good roots from the aerated perlite.
I remove the lid from the propogator every other day and soak with water to make sure no dry spots.
I am tossing the seed that's in the fridge when these are in the sun.
Some of these will probably be 6' tall by end of the season....although I am going to wire some shape pretty early then hopefully a 6' leader:D
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justBonsai

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Nice. I started a ton of elm cuttings this year too. Put a bunch of em in a deli cup with pumice and DE fines. I tarped it with a bag and it hasn't dried out after 3 weeks.

I'm thinking a month and they'll be rooted.


What is the propagator you're using?
 

justBonsai

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I just jammed maybe 20 or so in a cup. I'll have the joy later of separating out the roots assuming they are successful. Might just leave them together for some group/clump stuff to mess with.
 

cmeg1

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Thinking about popping one of these out and have a look see!
I usually see roots coming out of the bottom of the flats,by now.Maybe these roots are thicker since aerated in the perlite.And can't fit through the drainage holes.Aeration does produce considerably thicker roots.
I have spotted some good roots sprouting,so maybe pluck one out and see what we got:p It's been a month.
I'll look this Wednesday or Thursday when off work.
They are doing something though...... to still be alive and a few are starting to grow:)
So cool!
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