Tree is dying. Need advice

teflon

Afternoon experts,
I have an elm tree (I think its elm anyway) and it seems to be dying. Can anyone tell me if there is a way if saving it or should it be felled?

We have had it about 15 years.

Thanks folks.

teflon

More photos attached

looksee

This https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/advice/forest-protection/dutch-elm-disease/ is probably what you need to know about diseased elm trees. I think once they are affected there is no hope for them, it will have to be taken down.

magicbastarder

can you get a shot of the leaf? would be very unusual to have a 15 year old elm tree.

teflon

Leaf pic attached

Thanks

magicbastarder

yeah, it does look like an elm - like this one i think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_%C3%97_hollandica_%27Wredei%27

it's susceptible to dutch elm disease. did you notice any wilt last year? looking at the bark damage, i suspect it's had it.

Dempo1

magicbastarder wrote: »

yeah, it does look like an elm - like this one i think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_%C3%97_hollandica_%27Wredei%27

it's susceptible to dutch elm disease. did you notice any wilt last year? looking at the bark damage, i suspect it's had it.

A real shame, if it's elm disease, in one sense its fortunate tree not too big as it will have to be removed. I've had terrible trouble with Ash Dieback, similar affect but on Ash Tree's, I've lost 6 and its extraordinary it only affects Ash Tree's, albeit not Mountain Ash. Sadly all had to go and quite a job as they were quite large.

teflon

magicbastarder wrote: »

yeah, it does look like an elm - like this one i think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_%C3%97_hollandica_%27Wredei%27

it's susceptible to dutch elm disease. did you notice any wilt last year? looking at the bark damage, i suspect it's had it.

I did notice it didnt all bloom last year but I just thought it was because the neighbours had an extension put on and thought it may have damaged the roots or something.

Hate the thoughts of removing it. Could it be cut back to the living branches maybe?

biddyearley

magicbastarder wrote: »

can you get a shot of the leaf? would be very unusual to have a 15 year old elm tree.

Not really. There are hybrids which offer partial resistance to DED, and these are on sale. The disease is such that at a critical size, usually 12-20years, the beetle feeds infecting the tree and tree begins dying. Above ground portion will did but the tree will sucker from the roots and grow again until that critical size when it gets reinfected.


OP get rid of the tree, plant something else.

biddyearley

Dempo1 wrote: »

it only affects Ash Tree's, albeit not Mountain Ash. Sadly all had to go and quite a job as they were quite large.

Mountain Ash no relation to Common Ash so doesn't suffer from Hymenoscophus/ash dieback. Named only because of the similarity in leaf shape to real ash.

teflon

Would a suitable replacement be silver birch? Have sourced a large enough one that the seller will uproot and transport to me but I'm not sure if it will survive being replanted as it's not a garden centre selling it.

biddyearley

teflon wrote: »

Would a suitable replacement be silver birch? Have sourced a large enough one that the seller will uproot and transport to me but I'm not sure if it will survive being replanted as it's not a garden centre selling it.

Perfect for a garden actually and supports up to 300 insects so excellent for biodiversity, etc. Water well and if you can when moving it, try to keep as much soil as possible on the roots. Water, water, water for the next week after replanting.

teflon

So it's safe enough buying one dug up from someone's garden and transported?

It's not wrapped in hessian or anything. Just some dude who needs to resurface area for extension to shed.

Dempo1

biddyearley wrote: »

Mountain Ash no relation to Common Ash so doesn't suffer from Hymenoscophus/ash dieback. Named only because of the similarity in leaf shape to real ash.

Well I never knew that, wondered why no effect on the wonderful Mountain Ash, thanks

magicbastarder

teflon wrote: »

So it's safe enough buying one dug up from someone's garden and transported?

not safe, per se; it's a bad time of year to move it, best to do it when the tree is not in leaf. you're bound to damage the rootball to some extent. unfortunately chopping the plant hard back - which is often done to reduce water loss in a scenario like this - will be hard without butchering the tree.

magicbastarder

biddyearley wrote: »

Not really. There are hybrids which offer partial resistance to DED, and these are on sale.

gas, i'd never spotted them for sale before and just assumed there'd be no point in selling them.

Billgirlylegs

magicbastarder wrote: »

not safe, per se; it's a bad time of year to move it, best to do it when the tree is not in leaf. you're bound to damage the rootball to some extent. unfortunately chopping the plant hard back - which is often done to reduce water loss in a scenario like this - will be hard without butchering the tree.

I wouldn't pay for it.
If it was free and it is being transported, I'd take a punt , otherwise it is not worth taking a chance on it

Then he is only risking the effort in digging the hole and planting it.
But someone said you only water it for a week.
Not the case.
Plenty of water on a regular basis until at least October (or you can see it is it is dead:))

teflon

Ok so I cut the tree down and dug out the roots (nightmare) and I noticed that most of the roots were purple on the inside. Anyone know what that means?

Should I not plant a new tree in the same spot now?

Thanks for all advice so far ��

teflon

Bump

...anyone?

Thanks

looksee

Its not generally a good idea to plant a new tree/shrub/plant in exactly the same spot as another one, especially if that previous one had issues.

I have no idea about the purple roots, it doesn't seem to be a normal consequence of Dutch Elm disease but I would make sure to dispose of the roots or burn them where they won't contaminate other plants. You could put a section of root into a sealable/sealed plastic bag and ask a horticulturalist - but make sure the root remains inside the plastic bag. You could (and maybe should) ring somewhere like Kildalton College or the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and ask. A post on the Forestry section of Boards https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1529 might get answers also.

macraignil

teflon wrote: »

Ok so I cut the tree down and dug out the roots (nightmare) and I noticed that most of the roots were purple on the inside. Anyone know what that means?

Should I not plant a new tree in the same spot now?

Thanks for all advice so far ��

Did not know it before now but just did a quick search and this page showed up that mentions dark or purple patterns in elm infected with the Dutch elm disease. It also mentions Zelkova trees are susceptible to the disease which I did not know before and I hope the one I have planted does not catch the Dutch elm disease. It is likely that a tree not related to the elm could be fine in the general area as it would not be susceptible to the same disease but I would not be paying to take a mature birch in full leaf to move from the ground to plant there. Mature trees for sale from reputable suppliers have regular root pruning so they have lots of roots close to the tree and so can survive being moved. A birch which has been in the same position for a number of years with no root pruning will have lots of its roots far away and deeper in the soil and it is usually not possible to transplant these without damage that will seriously effect the tree. Wait until autumn and get a different tree when it is dormant from a reputable nursery and it would be much more likely to grow well. Pot grown trees are more expensive and you could get a forestry whip of the more common species for just a few euro when it is bare root season.

Hocus Focus

biddyearley wrote: »

Mountain Ash no relation to Common Ash so doesn't suffer from Hymenoscophus/ash dieback. Named only because of the similarity in leaf shape to real ash.

Also commonly called a Rowan tree. That's what I would know it as, anyway.