Chinese Elm has buds but no leaves

[meda4]

Hey all,

I had my first attempt at overwintering a chinese elm "outdoors" (just not in a heated house) in an unheated garage. This spring, it seemed to wake up somewhat and has buds on many branches but still no leaves as of yet. I fear that it may be dead. Does anyone else have any rough idea when elms should leaf in zone 5? Is it worth doing a scratch test to see? I don't want to stress the tree more than needed if it is still alive so figured I'd ask the community first.

Thanks!

 

[BrightsideB]

Do a scratch test it won’t hurt. It’s a let down to constantly be waiting until it’s obvious that it’s dead. And post a pic of you can it always helps with diagnosis.

 

[brentwood]

My two elms had wildly different leaf out dates, was very worried the one was dead. I cut the end of a small branch to check color, found green.. pics?
B

 

[penumbra]

I have several dozen elms and they have all been leafed out for several weeks. I suspect your plant dried out at some point during winter storage. I am glad I don't have a garage.

 

[rockm]

That late bud break indicates the tree has had some kind of damage over the winter and is trying to heal before pushing leaves. Do the buds have green showing or are they still dark and tight? If there's green showing on their sides, be optimistic. If they're still dark colored and haven't elongated somewhat, the tree MAY be dead. I always hang on to struggling trees until July 4th. If they haven't pushed any growth by then, they're likely done for.

 

[meda4]

Thanks all for the advice. I went ahead and clipped the ends of two small branches and they seem to be green inside still. Scratched the trunk and it was also green. The buds themselves still seem pretty dark but they are fairly oblong. Its not a shock that I may have made a few mistakes during the overwintering

So if it's green there is a chance it will still come back right? If so, I'll keep it around for another month or so and cross my fingers.

 

[rockm]

Thanks all for the advice. I went ahead and clipped the ends of two small branches and they seem to be green inside still. Scratched the trunk and it was also green. The buds themselves still seem pretty dark but they are fairly oblong. Its not a shock that I may have made a few mistakes during the overwintering

So if it's green there is a chance it will still come back right? If so, I'll keep it around for another month or so and cross my fingers.

There's a chance, but if the buds remain dark and still, it means those buds are most likely dead. The tree may push new shoots, however, since it probably can't use the buds. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Do the twigs snap?

 

[HorseloverFat]

I have spent a couple years overwintering in an actually-a-bit-colder-than-zone-5, zone 5, geographical microclimate..

So I know "cold-killed/dried" trees fairly well...

You can also biff/tap the trunk.. it will FEEL like there is life/sap running through it due to how the vibration resonates against your finger.

Much like the test they do for cirrhosis, they "tap" your liver with a machine and the other end receives the vibration...

 

[brentwood]

Green is a good sign, pretend it's alive and be prepared for losing some of it - they are tough, might get a chance to cut it back hard next year...

B

 

[meda4]

Do the twigs snap?

The twigs do not. They seem to bend more like a live branch so I think that may be a good sign.

 

[Paradox]

Be patient and if you're going to have some really hot days, I'd move it to a spot that has shade in the afternoon. You still want it to get morning and late morning sun though.

Watch the watering and make sure it gets water when it needs it but don't overwater. When it starts pushing buds/leaves it will probably need more.

 

[HorseloverFat]

The twigs do not. They seem to bend more like a live branch so I think that may be a good sign.

*Thick Wisconsin shore accent*

"Ope! Well dere ya go!"