How to propage a very rare elm?

I got a branch a donor brought with her to show what the Japanese Elm
looked like. She donated it to our Rock Garden Society Plant Sale. It
has variegated leaves and its really pretty. She said she's never found it
for sale in the US and brought it legally into the US about 20yrs ago from
Japan.

So... I've got a branch about 3' long. Any suggestions on how to root it?

Tam

Eesh, I haven't done an Elm. I do have two window sills full of flops from this spring. Not one rooted but then again I knew they wouldn't root but tried anyway just for the heck of it. Timing is important. I found these sites for you and they might shed some light on propagating your cutting-
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/cepublications/pnw0152/pnw0152.html
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/cuttings.htm
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/nursery/pdf/cultural_practices/propagation/beg_prop.pdf#search='Elm%20rooting%20a%20cutting'
http://forums.bonsaisite.com/index.php?showtopic=2346

Great question, I hope we have members who have actually tried rooting elm cuttings so you're not stuck with a bunch of websites from me.

The third site (NC State) mentions Ulmus and suggests summer as the right time to take the cutting.
So that is a good sign! Thanks for the link. I soaked the branch overnight. Hopefully that won't be
a problem - it was wilting & I wanted to buy a little time. So I'm off to prep the cuttings this morning.

Thank you!
Tam

OK - I used a variety of techniques. I had only one plastic milk jug so I have one
pot with the open -top milk jug over the pot (outside), two pots with a giant loose
plastic bag under florescent lights, one with a giant loose plastic bag in the GH
under a bench and two on a shadier spot on a table with no cover.

All with 50% vermiculite and 50% potting soil mix. And rooting hormone on a slightly
damaged stem (pealed a very small amount of bark off when I pulled off the lower
leaves).

Keep your fingers crossed. This would be a really cool tree to grow!!!

Tam

You might contact The Morton Arboretum, where they root many elms as part of their research. Ask for Dr. George Ware, or anyone in the propagation unit. Salicaceae from The Dark Side (GW) also roots elm cuttings at the University of Minnesota and might be able to help if you can track him down -- I know a couple of his buddies from up there frequent this forum.

Guy S.

Thanks for the tips. But I've got 'em all going now. I'll pass along the contacts to a friend
who is taking the other half of the limb to try. I'll take a picture & post it later.

Tam

Here's a few pictures of the elm I'm trying to root. Several cuttings seem to be doing well.
The ones I did not cover are mostly dying off - just one still looking fresh & alive.

And a close up

Act fast: the cuttings need to be about 5-6 inches long, with only 2-3 leaves at the top of each stem, stuck in sterile medium with hormone dip applied, and kept from drying out. It's unlikely that any of them will root successfully if you try to root the whole branches like that. On the plus side, you have managed to keep them "alive" and turgid, so maybe it's not too late.

I hope someone who has more experience with elm cuttings will chime in here with more details, before you lose those cuttings.

Good luck and let us know if you are successful.

Guy S.

If your plant looks like that after 12 days, you ought to be fine.

It looks like a big cutting to me, with a lot of foliage. I usually use smaller cuttings and reduce the leaf mass/volume/area. Can't argue with success, however, and that cutting looks pretty good!

Beautiful plant, BTW!

Stress, I didn't see any roots there.

Guy, are you saying I'm overly optimistic? :-)

I'm no cutting expert, but if that branch didn't like it's environment, I would say that it should be toast by now. If I have a cutting that looks that good at 12 days, it usually makes it. My cuttings are all much smaller, tho.

I was going to suggest that she rescue those that don't look so good and maybe get them under mist or something. Tammy, you might also consider reduction in the size/mass of that branch, and you'll have more cuttings that way.

I've had cuttings look good for 3-4 wks but then they still end up dying after that but before growing roots. I'm terrible at propagation though so my experience may be unusual.

If need be, you can get the same plant online at arbor village.

I agree with STARHILL - you're cutting is way to big and will not root as a hardwood cutting. I'm not very knowledgable about Elms but I do know that a lot of deciduous trees can be propagated with softwood cuttings under mist and with bottom heat being used.

They - if or assuming they (Elms) will root like a lot of others, they should be rooted in 4 weeks. Softwood - dip in a rooting hormone of 1000 -3000 IPA. 50/50 perlite/peat moss.

Keep them well misted - that's a must - and honestly a fungicide is generally needed to keep them from rotting. Find one labled for your use - spray both the plant and the soil.

That's the ticket! The only one...

Grafting of course is the other option - but that's another 'thing' all together.

Do the normal: remove the bottom 1/3 of foliage of your 3(4)-6" cuttings (or whatever the softwood growth of the specimen is that can be used - I cautiously apply "common sense" when I say this).

I wish you the best of luck - mist them at least 5 times a day. Keep the surrounding temperatures below 80 (a basement under fluorescent lighting is perfect)

Good luck! ...................And HURRY!

Dax

I'm sorry - that pic was BEFORE I cut it up into nice sized cuttings. I made about 8-10 cuttings with that
branch. I stripped off the lower leaves, rooted in hormone and put in a mix of 50% soiless mix & 50%
vermiculite. I've got two pots covered with a large plastic bag (loosely & with stakes to keep it off the cuttings),
one pot with a milk carton w/open top, and the rest without any covering - a couple in the greenhouse &
a couple in the basement under lights.

All those that are covered look fresh. Only two that were not covered are looking good.

Sorry to cause such alarm! I should have explained the picture. I just forgotten to post it after I downloaded it.
It sure it wonderful to be amongst folks who care so much!!!

Tam

Good ideas Tammy.

Pretty cool tree BTW. What species is it? Any other info?

Thanks,

Dax

I'm really glad you tried this. Good for you!

I believe I can get the species from the silent auction slip. I just need to track it
down. I remember the woman said it was brought from Japan about 25yrs ago
and that she didn't believe they were for sale here in the states. She had a picture
of hers - it was gorgeous!

Tam

My aunt gave me an Ulmus parviflora of some kind as identified over at Garden Web. Tiny and round to elliptical green leaves size wise less than a US Dime.

I'm going to propagate the living gonads out of Clematis tomorrow; maybe I'll try this Elm.

Good luck girl,

Dax