Siberian Elm #2

[takeme4granite]

I went and dug up this Siberian elm from a gravel lot last night. I'm thinking of doing some sort of informal broom style with it. What do you guys think?

Any thoughts? Advice?

 

[River's Edge]

I went and dug up this Siberian elm from a gravel lot last night. I'm thinking of doing some sort of informal broom style with it. What do you guys think?View attachment 296385View attachment 296386View attachment 296387View attachment 296388

Any thoughts? Advice?

How many holes are drilled in the tote for drainage? Were you able to preserve considerable feeder roots?
I would wait and see how much survives before planning a style. Looks like you caught it before it opened up in leaf too much.
Best wishes.

 

[Hartinez]

I went and dug up this Siberian elm from a gravel lot last night. I'm thinking of doing some sort of informal broom style with it. What do you guys think?View attachment 296385View attachment 296386View attachment 296387View attachment 296388

Any thoughts? Advice?

Good chances it’ll survive without issue, but as @River's Edge said, before you settle on style wait to see what buds and where. Also, Siberian elms have a ten dance to lose sections of branches or entire branches all together, so don’t get too attached to a particular style. They are still fun and will respond and reduce well with heavy work.

 

[takeme4granite]

How many holes are drilled in the tote for drainage? Were you able to preserve considerable feeder roots?
I would wait and see how much survives before planning a style. Looks like you caught it before it opened up in leaf too much.
Best wishes.

I drilled some, but it could probably use more.

I don't really know how many or few "a lot" of feeder roots is. I was able to get more than the last tree I dug up, but not a ton of roots. From what I understand these are extremely hardy. Should I reconsider making the chops *kind of* described in my first post?

 

[takeme4granite]

Good chances it’ll survive without issue, but as @River's Edge said, before you settle on style wait to see what buds and where. Also, Siberian elms have a ten dance to lose sections of branches or entire branches all together, so don’t get too attached to a particular style. They are still fun and will respond and reduce well with heavy work.

Wait to chop to see new buds? I thought chopping would encourage back budding, and even produce buds from the exposed cambium of the chops?

 

[Hartinez]

Wait to chop to see new buds? I thought chopping would encourage back budding, and even produce buds from the exposed cambium of the chops?

Chop it now. At least I would. But just don’t commit to a style till you see where it buds.

 

[River's Edge]

I drilled some, but it could probably use more.

I don't really know how many or few "a lot" of feeder roots is. I was able to get more than the last tree I dug up, but not a ton of roots. From what I understand these are extremely hardy. Should I reconsider making the chops *kind of* described in my first post?

Let the tree survive first! You can do the chops next spring with a super healthy tree if it survives. Also at that point you will know which branches survived and your chop plan may be different?
I would drill a series of 1/4 inch holes all around the outside about 1/4 inch up from the bottom. Quite often tote bottoms drain slowly on even surfaces. Unless you intend to place on supports to allow air circulation under the bottom of the tote.
just a suggestion from an experienced collector.

 

[Colorado Josh]

That thing is a weed! I would chop it now. Chop the top, but keep the root ball intact. Next spring do what you want.

I harvested a few from my yard the last year. I was taking it slow, but realized with Siberians you can be aggressive. This tree was grown in a colander in pumice, that was placed in garden soil for 9 months.

 

[River's Edge]

Let the tree survive first! You can do the chops next spring with a super healthy tree if it survives. Also at that point you will know which branches survived and your chop plan may be different?
I would drill a series of 1/4 inch holes all around the outside about 1/4 inch up from the bottom. Quite often tote bottoms drain slowly on even surfaces. Unless you intend to place on supports to allow air circulation under the bottom of the tote.
just a suggestion from an experienced collector.

Someone I am sure will want to argue about reducing the top to help the tree survive.
Just to be clear, my approach is based on the following reasoning! The tree has already started waking up and transferring reserves to trunk and branches. ( evidenced by new leaves present on most branches) Also the roots were just cut, most removed along with reserves present in those roots removed. The roots will have limited uptake of water and nutrients while regenerating! So the best regeneration is the largest foliage mass one can get for Photosynthesis to fuel the root regeneration. Best steps at this time is to keep the most amount of foliage and buds ready to open.
I admit my bias is to work healthy vigorous trees, not wait and see how much a tree can survive. Is the species strong yes, in this particular case only the roots know for sure

 

[Captain.Bonsai]

I went and dug up this Siberian elm from a gravel lot last night.

Haha! This phrase has me laughing out loud after seeing all of those collected trees congregating in your front yard.

A gravel lot! At night?

I’m imagining a masked villain sneaking around the neighborhood after midnight, digging up trees. Gravel lots, parking lots, front yards, public parks, nothing is off limits!

Just don’t forget to wear your OSHA approved super duper N95 face mask and you won’t be identifiable (nor will you contract a bird/swine/Ebola/corona/H1N1 flu). Although, they may consider that collection of excavated plants in your driveway suspicious.

But seriously, good luck with newly ‘collected’ material.