luvinthemountains cork bark elm

[luvinthemountains]

This is the tree I haven't stopped thinking about since I heard it was for sale. It is a cork bark elm of unknown variety, purchased around 2018 at Telperion Farms by the BCU member I got it from. It stands about 26 inches from the pot rim. I am told it needs a repot this year.

In some sense this tree exceeds my experience, so any input or coaching would be welcomed.

 

[Colorado]

Hell yeah! What a tree!

I have no experience with cork bark elm, but I believe it is well known that cork bark cultivars can be less vigorous than the species. I’d take it pretty easy on this tree for the first year or so until you see how it responds to being in your garden. I don’t think it needs any drastic work. Personally, I’d just focus on building branch taper and ramification. Looks like the bones are all there.

 

[BobbyLane]

Thats a good one. looks healthy

 

[davetree]

You will need to cut the top back eventually. It looks a little thick up there. Seems like cork bark elms will shed lower branches when the top gets too heavy.

 

[GGB]

best way to learn is to challenge yourself. I like that tree a lot. Hear about them shedding branches also, if I were you I'd figure out what causes that and how to avoid it. @davetree never heard that before but I think that's why a lot of trees shed branches. Seems easy enough to avoid if that's all it is

 

[luvinthemountains]

Seems like cork bark elms will shed lower branches when the top gets too heavy.

Thanks for the heads up. I will start doing some research on that topic. Once I have the hang of the maintenance pruning, I will dive in with the structural corrections. Well, dip my toe in, anyway. The tree does not need that much of it right now.

 

[BobbyLane]

Never known them to drop lower branches tbh, ive had quite a few, never heard this before.
Just treat it as any other elm, theyre just as prolific and will back bud profusely after pruning.
any tree, if the top is allowed to get too heavy will shade out lower branches.
This tree has obviously been treated fine, you wont need to do a whole lot to get it looking good. just regular clip n grow, some wire here n there and balancing out of the structure.

 

[n8]

That's a beauty.

Concur with Bobby... I was in the process of typing out exactly he said when he posted. Cheers!

 

[BobbyLane]

A good indication of health is if all the branches are easily bendable or pliable. if you run your fingers through the twigs n branches you'll get the odd bits of brittleness with dead twigs, thats normal on a bushy elm. a few twigs that might of died back due to lack of light. but if most branches are pliable its in good shape and hasnt been underwatered or neglected for eg.

 

[luvinthemountains]

This morning, while removing undesirable buds and shoots from this tree, I found something even more undesirable.



I will be researching today to learn what these are, bit can anybody suggest a good low-toxicity treatment for a tree that is just breaking buds? This is a pretty severe infestation - kicking myself I missed it but they were hiding on the undersides of the branches.

 

[ZombieNick]

Never known them to drop lower branches tbh, ive had quite a few, never heard this before.

I have heard this recently both from some senior members of my club (who have some nice specimens) and our club sensei. I was told the trend in Japan is moving away from cork bark varieties as they are known shed lowers, sometimes seemingly without reason, even on very old, mature trees. I do not have first hand experience, so take with a grain of salt. I know I am still on the hunt for a nice cork back elm like this...

I will be researching today to learn what these are, bit can anybody suggest a good low-toxicity treatment for a tree that is just breaking buds? This is a pretty severe infestation - kicking myself I missed it but they were hiding on the undersides of the branches.

This looks like mealybugs. I go to war with these guys as pesticides don't seem to phase them. Q-tip and iso alcohol to kill them, but you still need to physically scrape them off. Hit the soil with insecticidal soap or something similar to kill the larvae.

 

[luvinthemountains]

This looks like mealybugs. I go to war with these guys as pesticides don't seem to phase them. Q-tip and iso alcohol to kill them, but you still need to physically scrape them off. Hit the soil with insecticidal soap or something similar to kill the larvae.

I had wondered about mealybugs, although I was not seeing any legs or filaments so not sure. I have also identified european elm scale as a possible candidate. I am thinking about doing an all-over spray with neem and Dawn right away, then some sort of systemic such as Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew after the leaves have hardened off. Alcohol is probably another good step, as I have found spraying it on to work pretty well with mealybugs in the past.

 

[Tieball]

You will need to cut the top back eventually. It looks a little thick up there. Seems like cork bark elms will shed lower branches when the top gets too heavy.

In my experience, with trees I have both in boxes as well as full size land trees, regular American Elms do the same. When the top gets fuller the bottom branches die off.

 

[ZombieNick]

I had wondered about mealybugs, although I was not seeing any legs or filaments so not sure. I have also identified european elm scale as a possible candidate. I am thinking about doing an all-over spray with neem and Dawn right away, then some sort of systemic such as Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew after the leaves have hardened off. Alcohol is probably another good step, as I have found spraying it on to work pretty well with mealybugs in the past.

It definitely could be scale, but the treatment is the same. I have and regularly use all of the above, so whatever you find works for you. I think either way you will have to scrape them off once you've killed them. Good luck, you got this!

 

[bwaynef]

I'd hit whatever that pest is w/ oil. Neem will work, but a horticultural oil would as well. If they're scale, they still look mobile which is good because they're most susceptible to pesticides then. Regardless, the treatment might kill them but could still require physical removal. Good luck on controlling this outbreak.

 

[BobbyLane]

I have heard this recently both from some senior members of my club (who have some nice specimens) and our club sensei. I was told the trend in Japan is moving away from cork bark varieties as they are known shed lowers, sometimes seemingly without reason, even on very old, mature trees. I do not have first hand experience, so take with a grain of salt. I know I am still on the hunt for a nice cork back elm like this...


This looks like mealybugs. I go to war with these guys as pesticides don't seem to phase them. Q-tip and iso alcohol to kill them, but you still need to physically scrape them off. Hit the soil with insecticidal soap or something similar to kill the larvae.

When I started in the hobby 10ish years ago, cork bark elms and chinese elms were all the rage. Much less so now. Then you could easily get S shapes and single trunk chinese elms everywhere, now I dont see them as much, the supply chains seems to have dwindled.

Im not sure what the pest is, apart from the odd aphid, elms dont attract much pests here. Weaker plants can be attacked by scale insect, so the key is to grow strong plants and dose them with a winter wash and occasional bug spray as a preventitive measure.

ps could be wooley aphids, they look more like aphid not scale. https://www.google.com/search?gs_ss...j0i10i512l7.6989j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

aphids I blast off with jets of water, then spray with a dish washing liquid and water. a drop of liquid in a litre bottle, or some type of oil like someone suggested, or bug spray!

 

[Darth Masiah]

they do look like some kind of aphid. I've never seen a bunch of aphids without a few ants nearby harvesting their sweet poop

 

[luvinthemountains]

I have hit them two weeks in a row with a horticultural oil. I need to go after the (hopefully) corpses with a nylon brush so I can monitor to see whether they return. I am hoping the small army of ladybugs I released last week will do some good as well.

 

[Polareagle85]

You will need to cut the top back eventually. It looks a little thick up there. Seems like cork bark elms will shed lower branches when the top gets too heavy.

I know I'm late but I'd your like me I read these posts for other trees and ideas and info..but I agree looks a tiny thick up top but from the one pic I can see you have a great start of a new leader right at the back top like 3/4 up the tree.. maybe study that branch for awhile.