Question - Chinese Elm Seedlings

[DaveG]

This is my first experience with Chinese Elm and I'd like to get it right on the first try. About a week ago, I planted about 20 Chinese Elm seeds in a heated tray and the first has sprouted faster than I expected. As newly sprouted seedlings, how tolerant are they of sun and water, or lack thereof? What conditions are ideal for them right now?

 

[DaveG]

I've pretty much answered my own question by trying a few seedlings outside in about 40% sun in a sort of mock greenhouse. I can see why these things are considered invasive; I'd guess the overall mass of the first one has increased to about triple what it was a few days ago. As is evident in the second picture, it already pushed its taproot out of the pellet.

 

[grog]

Dave, in my extremely limited experience controlling sun exposure with Chinese Elms is a waste of your time. We have fairly extreme weather here with hard winters and hard summers and they seem to do very well. The only Chinese Elm I've killed was one that I bought as a mallsai which was presumably conditioned to more temperate conditions. I do add some organic material to them as opposed to most other trees I have but I'm not sure that's necessary. They've sprouted from seeds in the granite/cherrystone/turface waste that I've covered the area under my benches with and seem to do well.

 

[DaveG]

Thanks grog. I'm figuring that out. Right now, I can't really give them more than about 50% sun without moving them twice a day, so that's what they're going to get. Hopefully that will be enough for them.