Collecting American elm

[TuckerBesosa]

Hi everyone, I am currently in WV visiting a friend. They have a really nice American Elm that I would like to do a little trunk chop and collect. I know this isn't the best time to collect an elm, but I won't ever be back up her. Is it possible to collect it now?

 

[Hack Yeah!]

If you only have one opportunity you've got to take it... free tree usually doesn't matter if it makes it

 

[TN_Jim]

elms are mean
wouldn’t bare root till spring if possible

 

[Zach Smith]

Hi everyone, I am currently in WV visiting a friend. They have a really nice American Elm that I would like to do a little trunk chop and collect. I know this isn't the best time to collect an elm, but I won't ever be back up her. Is it possible to collect it now?

Collect it now and take it back south with you. Assuming you don't get a huge early freeze, the tree should be able to regenerate some roots before dormancy sets in. Be sure you protect well this winter, as the roots you grow now will be very tender and will need extra protection.

The tree will also almost certainly produce some shoots as well. These are at risk during winter, so as with the roots protect them. If you baby this specimen through this winter, you should come out fine next year. Be careful, though, not to overprotect by bringing into a warm inside space; it'll still need some cold this winter.

 

[Firstflush]

Get as much root ball and native soil as you can.......

 

[just.wing.it]

Collect it!
Don't collect it!
Bare root it!
Dig the largest rootball possible!

I can see how this gets confusing fast.....hehe!

 

[leatherback]

Not sure what the weather there is. But early fall is a great time to collect trees. Doyou have the option to pot it up in proper substrate directly? ELse consider getting a pile of sphagnum. Clean the rootball after digging. Wrap in sphagnum, tape the whole rootball into plastic and at home pot it up.

 

[TuckerBesosa]

Im going to collect it right before I leave Sunday and then just a 3 hour drive home. Im going to dig up the whole root ball with a good bit of soil, wrap it up in plastic, pot it as soon as I get home, and then pray

 

[leatherback]

pray

if american elms are as hardy as other elms no need to pray (Unless you are still in this mad heatwave I have been reading about!).

 

[Zach Smith]

American elm success rates are in the 80-90% range, at least for late winter collecting. I haven't collected them in the fall, so can't comment on success rates this time of year. One more bit of advice I forgot to add is take off all of the foliage and seal the trunk chop(s).

 

[TuckerBesosa]

I will definitely do that! Is there anything I should do to prepare it?

 

[Zach Smith]

I will definitely do that! Is there anything I should do to prepare it?

Not sure I understand your question. Chop, lift, defoliate, seal chop. Water before wrapping root ball for the trip home. When you get there, you can either heel in the tree if you have a garden bed or overpot without any more root disturbance till spring.