Have I killed my Chineese Elm?

jubilada1947

19 years ago

I was given a fairly well established Chineese Elm for Christmas. It had been dormant but the person who gave it to me had kept it in her lounge and it had come into leaf. I couldn't put it outside as there was a risk of it freezing, so I put it in our conservatory which is unheated and it was doing fine. Then I went away for a fortnight, during which time we apparantly had a very sunny spell, and the conservatory must have become extremely hot. A friend came to water my plants but did not realise there was a problem and when I returned my tree had lost most of its leaves. They were totally shrivelled up. Over the last week the remaining leaves have fallen off. I feel terrible. Is there anything I can do?

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Comments (7)

AndrewSun
19 years ago
Was it dormant and then put out of dormancy and then back into dormancy again? How cold is the unheated conservatory? The tree should have been kept out of dormancy after it started to leaf. Elms are very hardy and can tolerate a lot. If the unheated place got too cold(below freezing)this would be bad. The conservatory also became very hot you say, this leads me to think the friend forgot to water it a few times and it dried up, which would cause the leaf fall. The trees survival depends on how dried up it became and how long it stayed dry. Were there living leaves when you returned? Are the branches subtle or do they break with a crisp when bent? What you can do is just wait and see if new leaves bud. Depending on how dry the tree was(if that was the problem) the tree may live. How long has it been since a living leaf was on it? If its been a while the tree is probably dead.
vcd1
19 years ago
Not good. Maybe just maybe, you can get it to survive this. It is not that unusual to get a second flush of foliage after a late frost, sever insect damage, or disease. Take very good care of it for the next few weeks. I wish I knew more about Chinese Elms, so I could be more definite.
Good luck,
Vernon
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zube100
19 years ago
Chinese elms are very tough. If it wasn't bone dry for too long you may be lucky. Keep it watered, but not waterlogged. Let it nearly dry out between waterings. Keep it out of direct sunlight and strong wind. Do not fertilize it.
Good luck,
zube
jubilada1947
Original Author
19 years ago
Thankyou so much for replies and glimmer of hope.
The Elm was in leaf when I got it and I kept it that way in the conservatory, which is unheated but still stays a little warm as it is attached to our centrally heated lounge. When I left it looked really good. There are no living leaves on it now but I've only been home a week. The tiny ends of a lot of the branches fell off as I touched them initially but the others have a bit of spring in them.
Should I leave it inside or out? We're on the W coast of the UK [Gulf Stream] so the risk of frost is minimal now. I'm glad you mentioned not feeding it as I was contemplating whether that would help.
Tom_Buchanan
19 years ago
I would put it outside now.
Tom B
mark_rockwell
19 years ago
OUTSIDE NOW!!!
AndrewSun
19 years ago
Never bring it in again.

Have I killed my Chineese Elm?

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AndrewSun

vcd1

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Have I killed my Chineese Elm?

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