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Well, your zone doesn't say much about the duration of winter, only the average annual minimum temperature.

If it doesn't freeze, it should not matter a great deal when you do the layer. The time not to do it is just as the tree is leafing out because there is a big demand for water then and its reserves are low. So a feww weeks after the new foliage has hardened off is a great time. Sometimes sooner is more important than best!

One thing to be sure of is to be absolutely certain to remove every trace of sapwood (phloem, cambium and active xylem) right down to bare WOOD which will not be white soft and pulpy, but will resemble real wood. Test a sample branch at least 3/8 to 1/2 inch across to see what the wood looks like.

If you don't do this there is a very strong likelihood the layer will be unsuccessful and new bark will bridge the wound. Some people like to wrap a couple of fairly large diameter (3-4mm?) wires around the exposed wood right up next to the upper part of the layer. This helps with the tendency for the tree to heal over. Also be sure to remove a ring of bark that is at least as wide as the tree is thick at that point. This may seem extreme, but with a vigorous grower like elm it is not.

Regards,

Matt

27-Oct-2003	#7
TreeBay Tips:5¢ Advice:Free *MODERATOR GROUP* Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Silicon Valley Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 9,745	Well, your zone doesn't say much about the duration of winter, only the average annual minimum temperature. If it doesn't freeze, it should not matter a great deal when you do the layer. The time not to do it is just as the tree is leafing out because there is a big demand for water then and its reserves are low. So a feww weeks after the new foliage has hardened off is a great time. Sometimes sooner is more important than best! One thing to be sure of is to be absolutely certain to remove every trace of sapwood (phloem, cambium and active xylem) right down to bare WOOD which will not be white soft and pulpy, but will resemble real wood. Test a sample branch at least 3/8 to 1/2 inch across to see what the wood looks like. If you don't do this there is a very strong likelihood the layer will be unsuccessful and new bark will bridge the wound. Some people like to wrap a couple of fairly large diameter (3-4mm?) wires around the exposed wood right up next to the upper part of the layer. This helps with the tendency for the tree to heal over. Also be sure to remove a ring of bark that is at least as wide as the tree is thick at that point. This may seem extreme, but with a vigorous grower like elm it is not. Regards, Matt __________________ Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today! bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!