Can you take cuttings from Elm?

[Rough Hewn]

But they're not all going to waste:  this lot has just gone to a very good woodturner

 

All Brighton elms get thrown on a big pile in waterhall.

Then burnt.

Yeah breaks my heart to see 20’x4’ burrs of elm on an artic going off to be dumped.

I tried bribing the driver, didn’t work.

[emoji22][emoji22][emoji22]

 

[Woodworks]

This is looking hopeful 😀

[halfpenny]

Hi please could any one help my out with where I could get hold of a cutting please. I live in lincolnshire and have a field here and would love to put English elm in my hedgerow.

[Woodworks]

On 17/02/2021 at 20:09, Woodworks said:

This is looking hopeful 😀

Ooops forgot about this thread. Sad to say every single one died 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Woodworks said:

Ooops forgot about this thread. Sad to say every single one died 

Shame, worth a try though. What do you think went wrong?

[Woodworks]

Just now, openspaceman said:

Shame, worth a try though. What do you think went wrong?

Lots started to sprout but then failed after after a few weeks. It was a long cold spring and we may have put them outside too early. Will have another go now as hopefully it's not too late. 

[agg221]

Propagating elm from cuttings is possible, but difficult.

 

When I established the disease resistance trial for local surviving strains, that meant propagating and not everything had a convenient set of suitably sized suckers, so cuttings were required.

 

Cuttings are best planted in a 50:50 mix of pearlite:vermiculite. A bit of compost can help encourage rooting, but also leads to more rotting, so take your choice on that one.

 

Hardwood cuttings are best taken in late January. You might just get away with it now but it's pushing it. They need to go somewhere cold, but over bottom heat to encourage rooting before shooting. A propagator mat or reptile mat in a polystyrene box and then put the cuttings in pots, infilling with more vermiculite worked quite well for this stage, placing the whole box against the north wall of a building (outside). Success rate is very low - 10-20% at best and sometimes still nothing. It depends a lot on clone.

 

Softwood cuttings produce a much higher yield. The timing is critical - you need shoots which are 8" long and then take out the soft top. That usually means late April but last year was really odd and by the time the shoots were long enough they were too hardened and didn't work. Same planting medium, get it damp, remove all lower leaves from the cutting leaving just one or two at the top. Put the pot of cuttings in a zip-lock plastic bag and place on a north-facing windowsill. When the hot weather comes they will suddenly root, unless they die first. Different clones can produce very different results.

 

The only thing I would add is that, unless the clone you are propagating is known to be resistant, or you have good reason to believe it may survive to maturity, the odds are that your tree will just die when it reaches about 20' in height due to DED.

 

Alec

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by agg221