Yamadori prep question

11 years ago

Hi all, i am eyeing up an elm for collection, it has been growing at the edge of an asphalt parking lot for a few years and has been broken off in the last year or so. Its about 2 feet tall at the break and has an absolutely massive amount of shoots coming off the base and the top, looks very healthy and full. My main question is, would cutting off the shoots at the bottom and any unneccessary ones towards the top be beneficial in preparing the tree for collection this winter? My thinking (and correct me please if this isn't the right idea) is that getting rid of the uneeded shoots will direct more energy to the top and roots and will help its survival potential when i finally dig it up? Any advice is welcome, this will be my first collected tree. Thank you for any advice and help!

This photo, from the top looking down, was taken early last month. The tree has doubled the amount of shoots since then. And, it is an elm right? :) not an expert on tree i.d. yet either.

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Comments (5)

User
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Some of those 'shoots' may be suckers, and may not turn into branches, but certainly if you know how to dig properly (or can get a local club to come and help - it's not like digging flowers or tomatoes :) and have where to put it when you get home, why not try it? Yes, it's an elm. But while the suckers may not be ideal foliage, you do want to keep some, esp. near the top actually, with a few at the bottom, to acquire sun for photosynthesis... to produce food, so do leave some.
allenkarlissa thanked User
grrr4200
11 years ago
Do it, it's not going to hurt the plant. Take off what you don't want. You do run risk that It will put effort into back budding instead of energy to go where you want it but it can be corrected later :-)
allenkarlissa thanked grrr4200
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allenkarlissa
Original Author
11 years ago
I will definitely leave some suckers (proper term, thank you) and foliage on top, just thought with such a mass of them, it could use a trim. Can you guys give me a good idea of when to dig it up? I'm in Western Montana, zone 4a/b, with the last few winters fairly mild. Do i dig after a hard frost in the fall, or wait until the ground thaws in the spring? I know i want to dig when its dormant, so do i just watch the tree and try to get it before it buds in the spring? I'm trying to study different books but haven't found a satisfying answer. Like i said before, total newb to collecting trees, but have experience with houseplants, gardening and farming. Any help is awesome!
User
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Right now (early-ish spring). It's deciduous, so cold/dormant fall is not the time, only for conifers. And suckers properly only refers to bottom growth, though it's hard to say with your tree as it's on the ground and some of those may be rooting into the ground rather than on the tree... only you can tell for sure :).
allenkarlissa
Original Author
11 years ago
Ok, thank you very much for the advice! Hopefully be posting some pics of an elm soon ;)