suckers

denny

i just collected a mass of three yr old suckers from the root of a chinese elm that had been removed.
im afraid i mangled the root which i thought would make an interesting tree if somewhat exposed at soil level.
i cut it off even.i see no feeder roots on the root,but a few on the suckers themselves.
is there anything i can do to help the root heal?
will the root grow feeder roots?
thanks

__________________
Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

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TreeBay

Bury it deep or raise the soil level. If you treat it as a cutting it may sprout enough roots to support it.

Regards,

Matt

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Bonsainut

Denny,
* Chi-elm is especially good at root sprouting. If we could go back in time or maybe next time you might ...well.. may I tell you a story...
About 8 years ago I planted about 30 C-E's in the ground. *After two years I pulled them out in the spring. *Later that year I noticed a ring of sprouts around the former crown of the elms.
* Shoot I had elms all over the place. *Somethings I have learned from these.
1. *4 to 10 buds will sprout from the ends of each severed root.
2. *After the first shoots have elongated choose 1.
3. *Clean up the end of the old root and all the buds you just cut off.
4. *Bind the end you just cleaned up with raffia or green garden tape---tight.
5. *Obviously leave the one elongated shoot to grow wild.
6. *Late spring *start a program of pulling the root up slightly out of the ground to expose the thick root to air. *It will soon take on the look of elm trunk. *Gently or you may pull the whole thing up, but usually they are a mile long!
7. *When you have exposed adaquate trunk, stake it and give it some movement. *
8. Mid summer start a root chopping program. *The reason for this is that the main root (now a trunk) may not have enough fine side roots. *I use a half wide shovel the landscapers dig trenches with.
9. *Make one downward cut at 12 o'clock and each week work around the tree with a new cut 11, 10 Etc.. *This will produce some branch rooting but wont stress it too much.
10. *The following spring lift then and pot up. *
11. *Believe it or not I am still harvesting elms from those same beds. *If they were weeds I would be a-cussin' but well they are Elms, count your blessings.
12. Hope that helps with your question... what was your question again...

__________________
Keep growing,---'Nut



Lethal Use of Farce

ripsgreentree

Denny: Just for general information, I reproduce chinese elm by planting 3inch sections of root with the tops just exposed above the soil level. Keep the proper orintation tops up and bottoms down. If you take these cuttings just as the buds start to push and keep them moist you will find that you will have as many new elms as you have 3inch root cuttings. After care will make a diffrence and the resulting tree can be recognised as one started from a root cutting. This is still the best way to reproduce chinese elm. Keeping this in mind I think that you have an exelent chance for your new trees to servive.
ripsgreentree

__________________
ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

denny

thats great guys,just what i needed to hear.
i can count my blessings as large c-elms are all around me,and i seldom lack for a seedling.
the root thing starated when one neighbor removed his.
they are very beautiful trees.when the wind blows the motion is stuning.
sorta kinda glad he removed it though,it let much more light into my living room where most my indoor plants are.

__________________
Denny
Still Growing in zone 9
So.Cal.

Tony

C-elms are damn near impossible to kill unless you let them get bone dry. They sprout roots quite easily. *I ran into a situation this spring simular to yours. I found a large elm [20" diameter trunk] that had been chain sawed right to the ground. It had budded at the top of the cut several years prior and produced a nice 4" diameter "new leader" with great taper and movement. I was able to saw this off hoizontal and then down through the root to preserve one little scraggly *feeder root about 3 foot out. I burried this deep in the growing bed, *I just checked it today and it's putting out new buds like crazy which means it's making new roots below. Latter on I'll air layer or ground layer to the section of trunk I'm after.

Chinese elms are like those potato chips. You can't have just one. Get plenty of growing space and pots on hand becuase before you know it you'll have 50!

Tony

ripsgreentree

Tony: a frend of mine warned me that I would soon have more C-elms than I could shake a stick at, at last look, at least 6 cultivars and over 1500 starts if you count sprouted roots and rooted cuttings. Now there is some work for you.
ripsgreentree

__________________
ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

Tony

It could happen Rip. But I'll need more land!