I spent my Saturday killing an Elm

[Silentrunning]

I had a Winged Elm ( Ulmus alata) that had to be moved for some work being done on a barn. It was tall and skinny due to a lack of sunlight and a lack of root area.. On one side was a large walnut root and the other a large rock. I knew the timing was lousy for digging it up but the alternative was to just cut it down. After over an hour of digging I finally just cut most of the roots. I soaked it in waterfor an hour since the roots came out of bone dry ground. I cut it down shorter and put it in some Fullers earth, charcoal and brick chips. Now we will see, but I think it is safe to say it probably won’t make it.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Hmm, yea I’m not sure, but Elms will surprise you. If I had to dig any deciduous tree midsummer I would choose an elm. Mid summer last year I went around my block pulling Slipperey Elm seedlings and saplings out of the ground like they were weeds. (They grow like weeds next to the sidewalk and in people’s front gardens due to a larger tree planted nearby). Roots totally botched. They all survived. The leaves began to droop on all of them and so I totally defoliated them and put each one sealed shut inside a white garbage bag. The humidity brought them back, and they’re growing like crazy this season. They even put on a second flush of growth last year in early fall! I pulled them out this spring and pruned the roots super hard to get some nice radial roots growing in the right direction, they didn’t even blink.

 

[Zach Smith]

Seal that chop! (if you didn't already)

 

[Silentrunning]

Seal that chop! (if you didn't already)

I have Zach, but thank you for the heads up.

 

[Zach Smith]

Awesome. Sometimes folks forget or don't know to do it. It can be the difference between life and death.

 

[barrosinc]

Elms will always bounce back

 

[leatherback]

10 days for budding
If your ground was as dry as you say it was, I would guess it will be thanking you now for moisture. The roots will start growing in a few days, pushing buds a week later. Yeah, update in 2 weeks showing green!

I would not keep it sitting in water though. Just treat it as a normal potted tree.

 

[Silentrunning]

Thanks @leatherback, since the picture was taken the cut and scars have been sealed and the basket removed from the water. I just wanted to make sure the media was fully saturated. Now it will get about 2 hours of sunlight first thing in the morning and be mostly shaded the rest of the day. Now it can rest until next spring, or the one after that.

 

[Adair M]

You kept a long, too long actually, trunk. Find some way to secure it so it won’t wiggle or move in the wind. And once you set it someplace, don’t move it. Jostling it around will break the tiny new roots trying to grow.

 

[Silentrunning]

@Adair M, I pondered cutting it shorter but my inexperience won out with wanting to keep as much movement as possible. I now realize that if it does live I have probably cost myself at least one year of progress but I am going to leave it alone to heal. Today I went out and found a couple of nice stones to set on the roots for stability.

 

[Silentrunning]

Update: it looks like my Elm might just survive- for now. I am kicking myself though for not cutting it shorter. Since we are only 8 to 10 weeks from our first freeze I am reluctant to cut it shorter now. Also, I don’t want to disturb the delicate new roots. I guess my inexperience has cost me time developing this tree.

Now I will see if I can keep it alive through the coming winter.

 

[Tieball]

Your challenge over time is going to be keeping the trunk stable in the soil. Especially until you have a solid fill of roots. I’d step back and figure out some stability ties that securely anchor it to the container. I had a thought on what I’d do...but I’m sure you’re already thinking and making stability happen....because you have the tree.

 

[TN_Jim]

Update: it looks like my Elm might just survive- for now. I am kicking myself though for not cutting it shorter. Since we are only 8 to 10 weeks from our first freeze I am reluctant to cut it shorter now. Also, I don’t want to disturb the delicate new roots. I guess my inexperience has cost me time developing this tree.

View attachment 204014 Now I will see if I can keep it alive through the coming winter.

Rad! Rather than chop shorter, literati?

 

[Mike Hennigan]

It’s budding strongly down low despite not chopping it low, good thing. Just chop it to where you want in early spring before it breaks dormancy. Glad to see it survived, elms are tough as nails man.

 

[Silentrunning]

The tree is tied to the frame of a mini greenhouse so the roots SHOULD be safe. I won’t say will be because you never know. The buds are breaking all the way to the top but not as thick. One problem I noticed is the tree is growing so fast the bark is developing cracks. ? This may be normal but it is kind of scary.

 

[leatherback]

. One problem I noticed is the tree is growing so fast the bark is developing cracks. ? This may be normal but it is kind of scary.

How do you think the fissures in the bark are formed

 

[just.wing.it]

Cool survivor.
Nice low buds!

 

[petegreg]

Update: it looks like my Elm might just survive- for now. I am kicking myself though for not cutting it shorter...

Nice, now let it grow free this season, maybe next too. From the length of that trunk you can make 2-3 new trees, later.