American Elm... Will it Survive Collection?

[barguy8194]

Collected this American Elm today. It’s got a great trunk, abut 2.5-3” base, cut down to about 2.5 feet tall. I’ve been scoping it out from the side of the road across the street from my house for a full year, but once I got digging, most of the roots were buried deep on a large tap root. I know elms are supposed to be super hardy, and grow roots quickly, but... what do you think? Chances of it surviving collection?

 

[Ohmy222]

not much there but if any tree can take it an elm is a pretty good one. I would plant in some pumice or a part pumice mix and hope. Considering you have almost no feeders I would be very careful to not damage them.

 

[j evans]

I have had big cutting chunks root so you got a good chance. Just give it time and don't expect anything for quite awhile.

 

[Zach Smith]

It should make it. Seal the chop, defoliate if there's foliage, and bury it fairly deep so the root area doesn't dry out; then wait. You should see some bud activity within a week, two at most, if the tree is going to make it. Next critical point is when the shoots are about 3" long. If they continue elongating, you're pretty much home free. If they stop, the stump has used all of its energy and grown no supporting roots.

 

[BrianBay9]

With an elm you have a shot.

 

[barguy8194]

This is the full trunk I took. There are only a couple leaves poking through, the rest are still just swollen buds. The photo with the red line is where I’ll probably chop in two or three years once it’s recovered, assuming it survives. It was on the side of the road, so I’m assuming it was chopped by road crews at least once in its life. I took off another four or so feet of tall, arrow-straight growth when I collected it, but left the rest for now.

 

[Tieball]

If you kept those tiny feeder roots moist and buried well the tree just might pull through. Once set in whatever soil/substrate mix you used don’t let it move. The trunk needs to stay still so the roots left, or trying to develop, do not shift around in the wind or because you decided to check on the roots. I often put large rocks on the top of the soil right up against the tree trunk fully surrounding the trunk. Keeps it from any movement...and with the weight of the rocks I have no desire to move it around. I water it very well. Just let it sit for a couple of seasons to build roots. At this point you water it well.....if it pulls through...great!....if it doesn’t you move on.

 

[barguy8194]

The trunk needs to stay still so the roots left, or trying to develop, do not shift around in the wind or because you decided to check on the roots. I often put large rocks on the top of the soil right up against the tree trunk fully surrounding the trunk. Keeps it from any movement...and with the weight of the rocks I have no desire to move it around.

Yeah, I wired it into the pot pretty firmly. Shouldn’t move around at all.