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alexander3_gw

WIll young American Elm sprout from the base/roots if cut down?

15 years ago

Hello,

In the fall of 2003 I planted 2 Valley Forge American elms. As documented on this forum, one of them has given me fits, as it refused to show typical apical dominance. Side branches grew fast and thick, while the central "leader" grew slowly and floppily.

As luck would have it, a windstorm broke it off 4 or 5 feet off the ground today, where I had previously cut off one of those thick side branches.

This tree is about 4.5 inches in diameter at the base.

Part of me wants to remove the whole thing and order a Princeton elm.

Another part of me hopes that a new sprout from the base would behave better, and wants to take advantage of the extensive root system that has grown over the last 4 seasons.

So, will an American elm of this caliper resprout from the base or roots? How low should I cut it off? Is this a reasonable idea?

Thanks for your help,

Alex

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