How big a trunk to layer. And when?

[leatherback]

Hi All,

I dug up an elm last year April/May from my neighbours' garden. It was one of those days (30+C / 86F) so a bad time. But well.. The next day the garden would be ripped out so.. No alternative.

Long story short.. The tree has been sulking, untill in December it started to grow. If the winter does not turn cold again, I expect to have a decent flush of growth this year. It is in our garden now, standing a bit in the way.

It has variagated leaves, is about 7 ft tall. THe first few inches are the full green elm. (Lots of suckers). The base is about 1ft diameter.

The trunk is such that a few points of layering provide itself. The bigest about a foot in diameter. Would create a 3ft tall tree, with several trunks (Clump). The question is.. Could such a layer work? Or is it really too big to try?

Next up would be about 5 inches I suppose: Just the main trunk going up. I suspect that would not be problematic?

Should I do this this year? Or better wait a year till strong growth has been around for a season?

 

[Giga]

Elm layer well and usually can be done right after the last frost. Though that's a rather large layer, have pictures

 

[0soyoung]

I dug up an elm last year April/May from my neighbours' garden. It was one of those days (30+C / 86F) so a bad time.

The temperature was not the problem! Above 35C/95F trees loose carbon (mass) instead of gaining. It was safely below this limit when you dug (and likely for several days thereafter). The problem, if there was one, was the loss of roots and low relative humidity. Had you been able to dig more roots and/or put it in shade and misted it (or maybe put it in a humidity tent), it likely would have recovered faster. But, not to worry, it is alive!

The roots likely have a low level of starch storage, so be sure to keep a good amount of foliage to feed them when you layer (i.e., just layer a branch or two or well up the the trunk so that there are a few branches below the girdle/tourniquet.

The bigger the branch that you layer, the more roots you will need to grow before harvesting it - those roots must support the clone once it is severed. My rule-of-thumb is to choose stems about thumb thick.

 

[leatherback]

All I can find is a pre-digging tree picture. I have better ones but not with me .
It had even less foliage than I thought. Must have been earlier in the year.

I suppose I Do not need to point out where it has been grafted The nebari is of similar size as the graftsite.

Sp I could layer just above the graftsite at the widest point. Or just take the main trunk that comes out, and layer that. And naturally, there are lots of small branches to be layered off, if I want them. I have since thinned the canopy to only living branches; This tree has been sheared for decades and as such many clumps of branches, dead ends etc exist.

 

[leatherback]

The roots likely have a low level of starch storage, so be sure to keep a good amount of foliage to feed them when you layer (i.e., just layer a branch or two or well up the the trunk so that there are a few branches below the girdle/tourniquet.

Good point. I suppose this means I will have to ait a year longer if I were to go for the lowest layer possible. SO maybe do a few small layers this year. Clean up the rest of the branches to reasonable size and let it grow. See how easy this variation grows roots, and next year get the massive trunk section layered?

Or should I not bother at all with the layer at the graftsite? Would it look really odd to have such a wide flare?

 

[0soyoung]

Good point. I suppose this means I will have to ait a year longer if I were to go for the lowest layer possible. SO maybe do a few small layers this year. Clean up the rest of the branches to reasonable size and let it grow. See how easy this variation grows roots, and next year get the massive trunk section layered?

I think this is a safe strategy.

Or should I not bother at all with the layer at the graftsite? Would it look really odd to have such a wide flare?

Who knows? It might readily make into a great sumo or something else interesting. At any rate, if you do ^, you've got a year to think it through. You'll know more about how readily it layers.

 

[Dorky_gearhead]

All I can find is a pre-digging tree picture. I have better ones but not with me .
It had even less foliage than I thought. Must have been earlier in the year.

I suppose I Do not need to point out where it has been grafted The nebari is of similar size as the graftsite.

Sp I could layer just above the graftsite at the widest point. Or just take the main trunk that comes out, and layer that. And naturally, there are lots of small branches to be layered off, if I want them. I have since thinned the canopy to only living branches; This tree has been sheared for decades and as such many clumps of branches, dead ends etc exist.

View attachment 175438

That burl could be worth a pretty penny!!!

 

[leatherback]

That burl could be worth a pretty penny!!!

Like bitcoin .. You only have a profit once you have sold. Not planning on doing that with this one. It will stay with me untill I get bored of it, run out of time, migrate or run out of money.

Hm.. Of course, you do have these occasions where people make you an ofer you can't refuse. Not expecting that to happen though.