is this elm?

[farmerjohn]

Hi All,

 

I am putting this post in the milling forum as that is where 90% of my posts have been and in the tree identification forum too.

 

I am after some more advice from everyone…. Again!!!

 

I have these 3 trees on my drive and I am not sure of the species, I am hoping they are elm, but not sure, can anyone help identify please?

 

As you can see from the photos some of the small limbs have died, but there is certainly new growth too. My next question is, if they are Elm, could it be that they are pretty resilient to Dutch Elm disease? If so I would like to take as many cuttings as I can and see if I can get some going but have absolutely no experience of doing this what so ever, so any advice on that too would be appreciated.

 

Regards, John

[treecreeper arb]

Yes,it certainly is one of the elms.In terms of resilience,it is more likely that it simply hasnt had a visit from a beetle carrying ded spores,and as such has not been infected.it may have a visit tommorow or it may last many many years.some do.

In terms of taking cuttings,have alook at the RHS website.That has a straightforward step by step guide to taking hardwood cuttings.

[agg221]

Yes, it's elm.

 

If others in the area typically die off as soon as they reach around 5" or so diameter then there is a reasonable chance these ones are resilient (some are).

 

Supposedly the best way to do cuttings from elm is to take softwood cuttings in the last week of June, take the lower leaves off, cut the upper leaves to about half their length, use hormone rooting compound and pot them in a 50:50 potting compost:sharp sand mix, keep moist and bag up in a clear plastic bag. Once the leaves naturally drop, take the bag off and then any which leaf out next spring are OK.

 

In practice, I have had a very poor success rate with the above on elm (I am propagating the survivors in this area, of which I know of 10 big trees) and have had much more luck with hardwood cuttings taken just as the buds start to swell, ie you have just missed it for this year. Procedure is otherwise as above, but not worrying about the plastic bag.

 

Alec

[farmerjohn]

sorry to sound thick alec but what do you mean my softwood and hardwood cuttings?

when u say put in a clear plastic bag, do you mean seal it? if so will this not isolate the cutting from co2 etc?

[farmerjohn]

if i can get some going i'm going to plant them all over the place, my dads, farther in laws farm, my place and anywhere that will have em, i love elm as a timber, if cuttings sprout and are not resilient and get DED iv not lost a lot apart form a little time and i think its well worth a go!!! I love elm as a timber and think its such a shame its mostly gone

[farmerjohn]

Yes, it's elm.

 

If others in the area typically die off as soon as they reach around 5" or so diameter then there is a reasonable chance these ones are resilient (some are).

 

there is one in the same hedgerow about 5m away that is as dead as a doornail

[agg221]

The dead one is indicative - particularly worth keeping an eye out for dying ones in hedgerows in the area as that way the odds of a beetle missing out one particular tree are pretty small.

 

Softwood and hardwood. When a shoot is growing, it starts off soft and then hardens, usually going from green to typical bark colour in the process. Softwood cuttings are taken before the shoots harden, hardwood afterwards. Some species root more easily when the stem is still immature, others (usually the difficult species) root so slowly that they rely on the 'stick' to survive for a long time, in which instance hardwood cuttings often work better. Sometimes the 'heel' (bit where it breaks away from the main stem) is easier to get to disrupt the cells to form roots but with elm I haven't found much difference.

 

I have a similar plan to you - I am propagating away and will plant as many trees over about a 10 mile area as I can find homes for. My aim is to get a high enough concentration of surviving trees that they are within pollination distance to create a self-sustaining population which will then hopefully spread wider. It won't be timber for me, but some of it may be good timber for someone and I like the trees anyway, despite the old rhyme:

 

Elm hateth

man and waiteth...

 

Alec

[hedgesparrow]

very intersting reading wanted to propogate some elm as think i have some resilinant strains as still good as next door DED. will go on RHS website and swat up on it thanks for info