Huge Wild Root Cutting

Sn0W

Shohin
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I was out walking in the woods today and I came across a group of workmen cleaning and cutting up some trees that had been blown over. They've cleared the paths and said they'd be back in a few weeks to clear the stumps. There was a huge oak tree that had fallen over and knocked over a few other trees, some old stumps and pulled a bunch of roots out of the ground from around it. There are a bunch of huge yellow roots sticking out of the ground that the workmen are just going to come back in and cut out. They've said if I want to take anything I'm more than welcome as it'll save them part of a job. What's the best way of going about collecting this, if it's even possible? No idea what tree it even belongs to but the thing is a monster. Do I treat it like a root cutting or spend the time I have to potentially layer it? Or do you think it's just not worth it / won't work? It's about 4.5 - 5.5" wide
stump.jpg roots.jpg
 

Eric Group

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There is no way of telling if it would work or not without knowing the type of tree. I do not think Oak take from root cuttings, Maples do not, Elms should be easy....

Never seen a yellow root like that but if you cannot identify the tree it is likely wasted effort taking something like this.... beyond that, there is no taper, little movement... Don’t see much there.
 

Sn0W

Shohin
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Luckily there's no poison ivy here in the uk.

The picture is the wrong angle but there is an S shape to it.

I wasn't looking for an instant trunk, I was looking for something that would give me a start to grow on, after seeing the thread about how they farm Chinese elms for mass production from root cuttings I thought there might be an opportunity here. It does start to taper as it bends to go back down into the ground but after being ripped out of the ground is likely damaged.
 

sorce

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I think that color brought attention to it...
I can see the shape may have helped...

But I think there is something there, more worthy of your attention.

There MUST be!

Keep looking!

Sorce
 

M. Frary

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The yellow color makes me think of mulberry.
Don't know if they grow from root cuttings or not.
 

rockm

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Um, err, WHY dig this up? It's not all that interesting.
 

Melospiza

Shohin
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Could the yellow be from the workmen having painted it in order to prevent people tripping over them? That's a very vivid yellow.
 

Sn0W

Shohin
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It's definitely not painted. Look at the one to the right that's still partly covered in mud, its the same colour.

I didn't have to dig it up that was part of the appeal, I think you're right Source that the colour was probably what drew me to it. Imagine trying to dig something that size, think I'd hard pass on that one.
 

BonsaiNaga13

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The yellow color makes me think of mulberry.
Don't know if they grow from root cuttings or not.
I dug out one this spring and part of the root started sending out shoots so I think they would, white mulberry anyway and I've seen em with orangeish and even purple roots
 
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