Cedar elm collection

jferrier

Mame
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For those of you living in Cedar elm country has anyone tried collecting these after Spring leaf out? I'll be moving soon and have access to thousands at my parent's property where they grow like weeds. I've had good success before bud break, but will not be around for this window next year and wanted to try and get some more before leaving.
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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I've collected a few out of season. Once in the early fall...

You can probably get away with collecting now if you can reduce roots and top severely. Keep the collected trees in moist soil out of direct sun and wait. They're pretty tough customers and can rebound quickly. If you're moving North of Texas, you're probably going to have to provide frost free winter storage for them this year...

Biggest obstacle I had when collecting CEs was sawing through older thicker roots. The trees I collected were only 4" or 5" inches in diameter, but they were pretty old. I counted 60 + growth rings when I chopped them. The old roots dulled THREE pruning saws. The sugar sand they were growing in didn't help either, neither did the chiggers and the curious cattle...:D

Good luck.
 

jferrier

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Moving to the Portland area, so cold shouldn't be any more of a problem there than here. Rain however may be, especially in winter. I pm'd a guy on here in Vancouver with a really nice cedar elm to see if he has to do anything special for it in that area other than provide a very well draining soil mix, but haven't heard back yet.

Yeah those roots are quite thick and lengthwise can run quite a ways and the taproots are just massive. I have really been amazed that they could bounce back w/ so few fine roots though.
 
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rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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It shouldn't need much protection in Oregon, however, it will need some. I mulch my big one under 8-12 inches of mulch on the ground come Thanksgiving here in Va. Temperature below 25 F can cause dieback and even death if the roots aren't protected.

They are extremely tough trees. I dug a big one 6" in diameter one in November in Tyler, TX. Barerooted it, removed 95 percent of the roots, topped it, wrapped it in bubble wrap, put it in a box and shipped it north to Va. via aimail. It arrived in a snowstorm. I plunked it under mulch in the backyard and It popped new buds in the spring. It grew like a weed for a few seasons, but gave up after four years for some mysterious reason I have never really figured out.
 
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