AusBonsai

Hi Guys, I dug this little elm today, It was totally self defoliated ( not sure why ) and there were little buds just breaking out . I know wrong season but I also know that elms are tough so gave it a go . I managed to get a reasonable amount of roots but couldn't photograph as was chucking with rain so potted up asap . So here's hoping it will be ok . The top part of the trunk above the bend is totally hollow but seems to be healthy as . It really has quite a lot of character and I hope I can turn it into something good . One more question , should I treat the dead wood with anything

Hello Peterb,

Love that Elm too.

The dead wood has been there for some time, you can see the trees own defence mechanisms have kicked in and has sealed off (n.b. what you can see) the dead wood from the living tissue. It is horticulturally recommended to always remove dead wood from a plant - in doing so - don't touch the live tissue. However, for now do nothing - wait for the plant to recover.

Good luck,

Kevin

Nice find Peter . That tree already shows the scars of its struggles . Keep us posted . Cheers Graham .

Yep, real character. I also recommend to leave it for at least 12 months before you make any decisions. It is difficult to tell but the dead wood looks to be in good condition so time to recover is the most important thing.

Thanks guys, it was my lucky day yesterday, dug this from the same yard as the bottlebrush and as with the bottlebrush more than happy to leave to recover
Peterb

Nice find Peter.

The self-defoliation you mention could be due to elm leaf beetle, which is running rampart in Adelaide. Once you get some new shoots consider some confidor tablets in the soil.

Hope the tree survives the transplant.

Matt

Hi Matt , next to this guy's yard is a creek with a lot of elms and all of them had dead leaves or were defloliated and i wandered why , that explains it . Thanks for that I'll certainly take your advice
Cetera

Great find. Looking forward to seeing its progression!

Did this guy end up surviving Peter?

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Nice find, best of luck.

Hi Pearcy
Sorry mate just saw your post, Yes thanks it has survived . It put out a fair amount of leaves and has just started colouring for autumn. I'm looking forward to next growing season to see what new shoots I get , I'm on night shift at the moment but soon as I get off shift I'll take a pic or 2
peterb