Collected cedar elm

[Rcritter01]

Yesterday while at work I came across a fence company about to replace a chain link fence. On this fence was an elm that I really liked. So after a quick talk with the land owner I collected the tree. My question is, I only had a reciprocating saw to dig up this tree and got almost 0 fine roots. I planted it in almost pure peat moss with some soul out of a container that is notorious for rooting other collected trees here in east Texas. Will the large roots survive and flourish?

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Welcome to the site. Good chance your tree will make it with thoughtful care. Keep it moist and protected from too much wind. Nice stump

 

[Rcritter01]

Thank you I hope it does. I’ll have to get better pictures tomorrow, I think it has lots of potential.

 

[Rcritter01]

Here are some other views

 

[rockm]

Should be fine if you collected it before its buds opened. What you did to collect it (reciprocating saw removing most all the roots) is how some professional collectors do it. Their trees have a mostly 90 plus percent survival, given the correct aftercare. Cedar elms are extremely resilient and tough. Put it out of direct sun for a couple of weeks. Don't fuss with it, don't move it. Make sure the soil stays moist. I would be very careful, however, with the soil you're using. It will be difficult to water and will stay soggy if you water too much. Peat moss is extremely bad as a potting soil, particularly for collected trees. Drainage is very important and peat doesn't drain very well. I plant my recently collected trees directly into bonsai soil...

 

[Rcritter01]

Should be fine if you collected it before its buds opened. What you did to collect it (reciprocating saw removing most all the roots) is how some professional collectors do it. Their trees have a mostly 90 plus percent survival, given the correct aftercare. Cedar elms are extremely resilient and tough. Put it out of direct sun for a couple of weeks. Don't fuss with it, don't move it. Make sure the soil stays moist. I would be very careful, however, with the soil you're using. It will be difficult to water and will stay soggy if you water too much. Peat moss is extremely bad as a potting soil, particularly for collected trees. Drainage is very important and peat doesn't drain very well. I plant my recently collected trees directly into bonsai soil...

Should have been more specific, the peat moss is just the upper half of the planting mixture. The bottom half is a mix that I’ve had great success with producing roots in Chinese privots as well as crepe Myrtles. Yes this was collected before any buds have broken. You can see them preparing to but not yet. Thanks for your help and fingers crossed.

 

[rockm]

Should have been more specific, the peat moss is just the upper half of the planting mixture. The bottom half is a mix that I’ve had great success with producing roots in Chinese privots as well as crepe Myrtles. Yes this was collected before any buds have broken. You can see them preparing to but not yet. Thanks for your help and fingers crossed.

Even so, you've created separate drainage fields for the tree's soil. Hopefully that peat moss layer isn't thick.

The idea of using moss for the soil's surface is that it keeps the surface of the soil moist. It's not meant to be a potting soil. Peat moss is NOT the specific moss used for that--That would be long-fibered sphagnum moss (peat moss is a degraded, weathered remains on sphagnum moss). The moss layer of sphagnum moss (or ideally "yamagoke" moss) shouldn't be deeper than 1/2". The moss shouldn't be packed down tightly either. It's meant to be watered through to the soil beneath, but keep moisture from escaping through evaporation immediately. I've collected more than a few cedar elms and have collected alongside some professional collectors of the species. They plant out immediately -- in a container in the back of the truck--in plain old regular bonsai soil. The porous soil encourages faster root development than less porous, slower draining stuff (like peat moss) because it draws 02 into the rootmass.

 

[CreekChalk]

Very cool stump, did it live?