Cultivating American Elm from the wild

[JasonRedwood]

So i have recently decided to start a new bonsai project from scratch. I live in Minnesota, where we have several varieties of Elm trees that are indigenous to the region.

I would love to cultivate one or more from the wild, but am wondering the best way to do this with an elm. Ideally i'd like to grow from a cutting to get a thicker trunk right away, but can't find much information about doing this with elm. (i recently had a lot of success taking a branch cutting of a salix caprea and turning it into a new pre-bonsai).

If anyone knows the best way to get a wild elm for bonsai, please let me know. I'm open to looking around for a sapling this spring if taking a branch cutting won't work well.

 

[BrianBay9]

Hi Jason,

You should have plenty of small elm available around you. I'm next door in Wisconsin, and find volunteer American elm almost everywhere. They do very well when dug up, even with fairly minimal feeder roots. I'd suggest you start by digging up some young ones for practice before moving on to bigger, more interesting trunks. Now's the time to dig, assuming the ground has thawed enough where you live. They air layer pretty easily as well, so if you have some mature ones available with limbs close enough to the ground, give that a go this summer. You should be pleased with the outcome.

Cheers
Brian

 

[JasonRedwood]

thanks for your input!

I am not the best at identifying trees without leaves though, do you have any tips for that since they have not yet budded in this area?

 

[BrianBay9]

First, eliminate any that have opposite buds - seems like 90% of those are box elder. Of the volunteers with alternate buds, I bet half will be either elm or hackberry. Either can make a good bonsai.

But you're right, identifying small trees without leaves is problematic. If you want to be sure you're collecting elms, maybe your best approach is to concentrate on the air layers this year, and mark trees for collecting next spring once leaves are out.

 

[sorce]

I've collected them dead summer with success.
Spring, fall, success.

Tear a seedling out of a crack, success.

You won't fail!

Sorce

 

[JasonRedwood]

Sorce, I enjoy your optimism! I'm going to try both air layering, cutting and finding a rooted sapling. As i've never grown these before, i may need several before i get one suited for bonsai.

My biggest issue is going to be identifying them before they bloom. A lot of buds on the trees around here are swelling, so the trees will start to leaf out soon enough. I can definitely spot an elm from its leaves.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The only downside with American Elm is the leaf size (large) compared with so many other species that are smaller. I love American Elm - they are one of my favorite natives, but the leaf size is tough.

 

[sorce]

It's a good idea to look for those alternate leaves. If it is a Hackberry, well, you have another excellent specimen!

A Google image search of winter elm buds could help.

Then again, if it has smallish buds at all, no matter what it is, it oughta make a good subject ! Opposite or alternate !

Grab a few right as the leaves start to open, worst case, you learn something about another species and get more cool trees!

Just do yourself a favor.......

Start an airlayer on a section with taper already. Chop it now for taper, let the full tree help heal the cuts now!

And if you seek a sapling (or bigger) make sure it has good radial surface roots.

What kind of substrate do you plan on using?

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

The only downside with American Elm is the leaf size (large) compared with so many other species that are smaller. I love American Elm - they are one of my favorite natives, but the leaf size is tough.

The leaves reduce quite nicely though. Through the constant clipping back they readily get to under 1/2". Maybe even smaller.

 

[sorce]

Note who gets the worms around here!

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Lol. Don't even have to work today! Still I get up. The alarm clock people hate guys like me.
Might be thawed enough today to get to look at some of my trees! Kind of like a little kid on Christmas morning. I haven't seen them since December. Kind of excited.

 

[sorce]

I knew Milehigh was gonna show up too!

You fellers are late this morning!

Rob is it AM. Or PM for you?

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Late? It would be an hour earlier last week! We need to adjust to the daylight savings time still. Give us a break for Petes sake.
Slave driver.

 

[Tieball]

My American Elms in Michigan reduce the leaf size easily. From full size to 1/2" and some less than that size.

The trees also grow rapidly in the ground. I dig up seedlings usually 1/8" or less and stick them in small boxes. I give them a year or two to grow in the box. After that I move them to the open ground, my growing ground outdoors, and plant them on top of floor tiles. From there it's growth time. The first year is moderate growth. Beginning with the second year the growth is rapid and the trunk begins to develop thickness. I cut them back when I want in the summer. In about 5 years the trunks are 2.5" to 3". I have continuously cut back, although not always in the best places (I'm learning more from Brian Van Fleet now), but I cut back at least every other year. Hard cuts.

The cuts heal quickly while the tree grows in the ground. Most healing is near completion in 2 growing seasons....Michigan seasons. No particular care in the winter at all other than fence the trees in to eliminate deer munching...deer pruning when unwanted.

I root prune and correct any root direction problems every other year to every third year. The soil where I live is mostly sand. I add in some Turface and aged pine bark much like a potted tree might use. Sparingly though. I tend to let the Elms grow in their natural environment.

I water daily. It's a sandy soil. In the spring I water in the morning....evening are cool. In the heat of summer I water morning and evening. A good soaking.

A couple of my trees have been branch pruned since the start. What developed is short trunks and gnarly branches with lots of character.

I've also taken cut off branches in the spring, when the buds are well swollen, and just poked these into small plastic pots. By summer they are growing.

I don't have bud photos with me right now. However, I looked up the buds online and in paper books previously. Once I saw them the American Elm was moderately easy to distinguish with a close eye.

American Elms are tough, easily rooted, easy care, rapid growers. I enjoy the American Elm and it is natural in my area.

No photos with me right now where I am. But if interested I'll post some soon in spring. I may have written to much....more than you wanted. They are good trees with good character to develop.

 

[JasonRedwood]

Tieball, all that information is great! I need all the help i can get!!

Sorce: airlayering is tricky for me, as i have to cultivate these from a nearby forest. I live in the city, and most of the woods around are protected parks/sanctuaries, and i'm a stickler for those rules. I do have a large area of land that i can look for trees in - and i can start air layers, if i do many, some might still be there when i go back! As for substrate: I was planning on using something similar to what they grow in naturally for the first few years :I've had success with my two trees using peat, small grit, loam and cedar bark. For the Elm i may add sand, but i'm not sure yet. I may go ahead and use something similar to akadama from the start.

Any suggestions on soils?

 

[M. Frary]

Tieball, all that information is great! I need all the help i can get!!

Sorce: airlayering is tricky for me, as i have to cultivate these from a nearby forest. I live in the city, and most of the woods around are protected parks/sanctuaries, and i'm a stickler for those rules. I do have a large area of land that i can look for trees in - and i can start air layers, if i do many, some might still be there when i go back! As for substrate: I was planning on using something similar to what they grow in naturally for the first few years :I've had success with my two trees using peat, small grit, loam and cedar bark. For the Elm i may add sand, but i'm not sure yet. I may go ahead and use something similar to akadama from the start.

Any suggestions on soils?

I put all of my elms right in Napa Oil Dri. Pure or with a little turkey grit. They kick ass in it. 4' of growth or more in a year. I dig them up,hack them down and cram them in a collander all in the same day. Water every day, miracle grow at super strength at least once a week and stand back.
Simple and effective.
This a 4" stump after my gentle collecting procedures. I put this in a collander right away. It grew this much in a year.
No need for delicacy. No need to worry about native or organic soils. Just let 'em rip!

 

[JasonRedwood]

That's awesome, i might try cat litter for this one! i've never done that before, but i think this is as good of a time as any to start.

 

[M. Frary]

Watch what cat litter used. I never tried to use cat litter. But I do know that some is made out of diatomaceous earth. I go for the auto parts Napa floor or oil dri part number 8822. Diatomaceous earth. $8.00 a bag. There are other substrates but this is what is readily available and is fairly cheap in my area.

 

[JasonRedwood]

Yeah, i meant that sort of substrate in general, oil dri and related mixes, as well as cat litter. Though, vermiculite is about the same price per pound, and might work better and with less sifting. I've heard diatomite has a lot of dust in it when not specifically made for plants.

I may even just try well draining potting soil with bark added in. I haven't decided yet.

 

[M. Frary]

The floor dri is a smaller size substrate. Like small gravel. It does have some dust in it too. The dust washes out during the first watering. Never plugs screens in my pots either. Oops! Did I just let on I don't sift. It's out now. Sacrilege! Take me to the woodshed!
I never saw the need to sift this stuff. Maybe if I used Akadama so the dust didn't turn to mud. But I dont.
More sacrilege!
Hahaaaa!