Declining Drake Elm

[Feebys Owner]

I have a drake elm, probably around 20 years old, that has been in decline for the past couple of years. This year it looks bad enough that I called a couple of tree specialists to ask their opinion.

One, a certified arborist, said it is not salvageable but wasn't sure exactly what was wrong. The other specialist thought it was borer beetles and also said the tree was too badly damaged to recover.

The first person offered no suggestions other than to remove the tree. The second person offered help in finding a new tree to locate in the same general area as this one after it is removed. He did not say the area around this tree should be treated because of the borer beetles.

What should I do next? I will have the tree removed and would like to plant a new one (more than likely, another drake elm) in the same general area. But, do I need to treat the ground, wait for a few months before planting a new tree, or???????

Thanks.

 

[jefflovstrom]

I have a drake elm, probably around 20 years old, that has been in decline for the past couple of years. This year it looks bad enough that I called a couple of tree specialists to ask their opinion.

One, a certified arborist, said it is not salvageable but wasn't sure exactly what was wrong. The other specialist thought it was borer beetles and also said the tree was too badly damaged to recover.

The first person offered no suggestions other than to remove the tree. The second person offered help in finding a new tree to locate in the same general area as this one after it is removed. He did not say the area around this tree should be treated because of the borer beetles.

What should I do next? I will have the tree removed and would like to plant a new one (more than likely, another drake elm) in the same general area. But, do I need to treat the ground, wait for a few months before planting a new tree, or???????

Thanks.

f seasons

Dump a bunch of orange peels in the hole, wait a couple of season's, (about six months),,
Jeff

 

[Feebys Owner]

Thanks. But, there is not really any "hole" per say, so I guess I would have to place the orange peels around the base of the tree, as well as the area where the main branches of the tree extend from the primary trunk (see new pic)? What do the orange peels do?

And what about the dead portions of the tree, which includes part of the main trunk? As I understand, that will never be viable - even if I could rid the tree of whatever is going on.

 

[jefflovstrom]

I meant that if you removed the tree and had the stump ground out to put orange peels in the hole,
Jeff

 

[JeffGu]

The only insecticide that is easy for a homeowner to apply, and is effective on borers, is imidacloprid mixed in a bucket with water and poured around the tree, or in this case, what's left after the tree's stump is ground out. Bayer Advanced Garden Tree and Shrub Insect Control (make sure label lists imidacloprid as the active ingredient) is the product you would use. This is a systemic insecticide used to treat borers in this manner, as the tree will take it up from the roots into the tree. Normally, this is only effective if you catch the borer damage very soon after it starts... in your case, it looks like it's a little late for that, now. It will kill any larvae left in the remaining root flare of the tree after removal.

The Drake cultivar of Chinese/Lacewood elm is a very nice tree. It is usually very resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, but no elm is immune. They are, unfortunately, susceptible to a number of borers. If you plant another one, you'll want to keep close tabs on it and treat it immediately if it shows signs of borer infestation (holes, sawdust) and these trees do need pruning to ensure a strong growth pattern. You'll want to either hire a competent arborist, enlist advice from one, or do a lot of research online about the subject in order to stay on top of the pruning. Obviously, the first option is the best one for most people. This is something you'll probably only have to do every three to six years. It will reward you with a beautiful tree that's healthier.

In the midwest, this cultivar is quite colorful in the late fall, but I imagine it is probably almost evergreen where you live. I remember seeing one in Mississippi that was still green at the end of December!

Good luck. I hate to see a tree that nice die off like that. I consider most elms to be weeds, but I like those ones.

 

[Feebys Owner]

Thanks for the info. I never noticed anything going on with the tree until it was already in decline. I guess my first real clue was when I saw the mushrooms growing at the base of the tree last year. And, I swear, the sawdust didn't appear until this spring. So, I am scared to death that I will not be able to detect a future problem with a new elm. One of the specialists who looked at the tree said to use a specific product as a preventive measure, probably about once a year starting about 6 months after a new tree would be planted. He said it is put down in liquid form and is absorbed through the roots and helps the tree ward off borers, I think. I will have to ask him for the name again, as I can't remember it now. I am guessing it contains imidacloprid, as I understand this can be used for both prevention and treatment.

We never had this tree pruned, it didn't seem to look as if it needed it until, of course, the decline started. Why is pruning so necessary on this type of tree?

Our tree does (did) lose it's leaves in our 'winter', but there are no showy colors beforehand - only seeds/leaves that drop to the ground and have to be raked up. That was the only thing about this tree that I did not necessarily like. But, as you know, the reward of its beautiful canopy of willowy branches more than offset the raking.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Try a Chinese elm as a replacement.
Jeff

 

[JeffGu]

Why is pruning so necessary on this type of tree?

Sometimes they take on a pleasant, strong shape on their own... but usually they need a little help. Drake can take on the typical vase shape of American Elm, or the more spreading form that yours has. Elm is a hardwood tree by virtue of being deciduous... but it's pretty soft wood. Very tight crotches where stems grow at nearly vertical angles close together are weak and will usually have included bark... where bark gets "trapped" when each stem grows larger and they graft together where they join. These often split and drop limbs, or partially split and insect and disease problems show up. Very long, horizontal or drooping limbs can get very heavy and the canopy "wind sail" puts a lot of leverage action on them. Reduction pruning can bring them back under control. Deadwooding will remove some disease/pest risks and aesthetically keep the tree looking nice. For a specimen plant in your front yard, this can be important. If you were out in the boondocks and the tree was in a woodlot, you might leave the dead wood for wildlife, but I didn't get the feeling that is the case.

We're talking about a few prunings over the life of the tree, not weekly checkups from a doctor. I mention it because you seem genuinely interested in your trees. Most people, it seems, just assume they will take care of themselves without any care at all, and will be beautiful for half a century with no help whatsoever. Sometimes that happens. Usually it doesn't. I'm currently on a job that involves removing a lot of trees, including four quite large Siberian Elm trees that were planted close to the house. Years of neglect, storm damage, horrible "pruning" by The Bucket Truck Bozo Tree Hack Service that involved pretty much randomly chopping off any huge limb that was broken or dead then topping the main stems, etc. have left them dying of Dutch Elm Disease and in serious danger of coming down on the house. These trees are in the 30" to 38" DBH range and 50 to 60 feet tall. They'd be even taller if they weren't so hacked up and storm damaged. You would think that somewhere along the line, somebody would have said, "Maybe we need to call someone." Now, they all have to come down and the west sun will be right on the house.



Sounds like you know what you're doing, and can probably wrangle up some advice on long term care of the new tree. The supplier where you buy it may be of help, in this regard. Local natural resource district folks can also be of invaluable help. Personally, I think Drake is the best looking of the DED resistant, Chinese elms out there and I wouldn't hesitate to plant another one. I'd probably try to find one that's a few feet tall, anyway, just so I can get an idea of how it's shape might turn out. And I'd take a proactive approach to it, as you are... preventative measures and a little extra effort to make sure it does well. Maybe even a little sign for the neighbors dog, at his eye level, that says, "Don't even think about it!"

 

[Feebys Owner]

Again, thanks! I think I will go ahead and get another drake elm - worth the risk in my mind. My hope is to find a replacement drake elm that is at least 10 feet or so. That should allow me to determine its natural shape - which I definitely want to be more spreading than vase shaped.

If the sign you suggested would work on dogs, perhaps it would also discourage beetles as well!!!!

 

[jefflovstrom]

Chinese elms are beetle proof!
Jeff

 

[Feebys Owner]

Never heard that one before...

 

[jefflovstrom]

Never heard that one before...

38 years in socal and never a problem,,,
Jeff