How am i sure if its dead or not ???

Dblthefist

I have 5 Chinese elms / ulmus and all there leaves got shredded mid summer by hot winds and sun they all dropped there leaf but then re grew them then the same thing happened again just before autum but they didn’t grow back some of them have buds still on them other ones I can’t see how can i be sure if the tree is dead or just couldn’t be bothered re producing its leaves?

Any help would be much appreciated

Dean

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kcpoole

try the bark test.

Scrape off some bark and see if the underlying slayers are green. If they are then life is there. if they are not green and dry as, then they have gone to meet thine maker.

You may have to try in several areas on the trunk to be sure.

Ken

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PatArizona

G'day Fist...

Not sure yet? If that's the case, give them protection from sun and wind, and continue to tend them, as if they are alive, until next spring...If they are alive, they will sprout new green...if not, they are dead.

Pat

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Sailor_Jerry

Exactly what Pat and Ken said.

I have a very young myrtle I bought and put in a training pot last year, then accidentally left out in a pretty dramatic freeze. It seemed to up and croak on me right away, unfortunately. I was pleasantly surprised when I did a bark test out of hand a couple of weeks ago to find that it's doing just fine.

Dblthefist

Cheers Jerry,Pat & Ken All your help was much apreshated ill do the bark test tomorrow im glad i joind this forum coz now i can find the help almost straight away Thanks again.

Dean

jeremy_norbury

They are the cockroach of trees. It'll take more than a bit of wind and some sun to kill 'em. Bark scratch is the ultimate test. I agree about wind and sun protection - I use a little greenhouse for such cases, it gives high humidity and filters out the sun. They can be cheap - just bought this one for €99:

Attached Images

greenhouse.jpg (54.4 KB, 168 views)

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Dblthefist

CHEERS! thanks guys all of me trees are all good i did them thismorning one has got some root rot but i got it on the right stuff to get rid of that thanks heaps guys. = >

ElGringo

Free draining, water sparingly (only when needed)?

Remember that, just because the substrate surface is dry, there still may be water around the tree's roots.

Poke your finger several inches down into the substrate before watering to get a better idea of how mush moisture is really in the pot.

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ekillians

Darn those chinese elms... got my heart going a few times.

Once I made all the leaves drop in some sunny weather.

Once while a friend was babysitting he could have sworn he killed it just the same but it sort of self defoliated and came back with drastically reduced and extremely health growth of leaves.

Well, needless to say autumn came and things turned yellow, brown then died off. I thought it was for the worse.

So just this week everything is budding out extremely healthy.

Just one note, I did lose a lot of ramification over the winter (as Chinese Elm from the southern part of China will) although I have another Elm from the North that doesn't have this problem nearly as bad.

Nurse 'em back to health and enjoy the spring. Most importantly, don't let them get you upset - I've had a few scares myself. i think the elms just like to keep us on our toes.

Best regards,
-EK

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