All about smooth elm

Since ancient times, people have attached special importance to various types of trees. Elm occupies a special place - according to popular beliefs, it gives courage and bestows good luck to travelers. For the Slavic peoples, this tree was associated with the birth of a new life, and for the British, the elm branch, intertwined with a vine of grapes, is the personification of the loyalty of lovers. The elm family has at least 40 species, and one of them is smooth elm, we will consider in more detail in this article.

Smooth elm has incredible flexibility, which is why it got its name. The Celts called the tree "elm", which means "elm", the Slavic peoples deciphered this word as "flexible rod". Also, the tree is sometimes called differently: birch bark, elm or elm. Due to its properties, wood became an excellent material for the construction of houses, carts, sledges and even weapons.

Also, household tools such as knitting needles, shafts, rakes or arcs were made from elm wood. It is not difficult to distinguish birch bark from other trees, you just need to know a few of its features.

Consider the specifics of the appearance of the common elm.

• The crown of this tree is large enough, takes the shape of a dome and is quite dense due to large, closely spaced leaves. The diameter of the crown of an adult tree reaches 20-25 meters.
• The bark of the elm is smooth, without visible cracks. It also tends to flake off with small platinum and has a brownish brown tint.
• The branches of the tree are divided into three tiers: lower, middle and apical. The lower tier consists of short horizontal branches. The shoots that rise at the beginning and hang at the end are characteristic of the middle part of the plant. In the upper layer, the branches tend upward and diverge in rays to the sides, the bark on them is smooth, light brown and shiny, and the foliage grows very densely.
• Karagach grows rather quickly, its maximum height is 25-30 meters.
• The trunk diameter of this tree is often more than one and a half meters.
• The elm leaf has an oval shape, pointed towards the end and often asymmetrical halves. The size of the leaf is from 5 to 12 cm, and the stalk usually does not exceed 4-6 mm in length. The venation resembles bird feathers in its structure. Above, the leaves are smooth and dark green, and below are soft, hairy and have a light shade of green. The edge of the foliage resembles a crescent-toothed hand saw in structure. With the arrival of autumn, the foliage takes on brown and purple hues.
• Elm blooms in small brown flowers with purple stamens, the flower petiole is quite long. Usually elm bloom lasts for 7-10 days.
• The fruits are small, mostly brown in color, have cilia along the edge and a nut inside.

Ordinary smooth elm withstands harsh winters and is also easy to shape and trim. The root system of elm is dense, large and powerful, which allows the plant to remain stable during strong winds or storms. The life span of trees of the elm family reaches 250-300 years, but specimens that have lived much longer are often found. In deep, moist soil, birch bark adds up to 50 cm in height and 30 cm in trunk diameter per year.

During dry periods, the tree will not die, but its growth rate will decrease significantly. Moreover, if the tree is planted in city parks or on the streets, dry, poor soil will not only slow down growth, but also guarantee early foliage and drying of the crown. The elm also has a hard time tolerating other factors in large cities, such as dustiness, shading by multi-storey buildings, as well as salinity and soil compaction. The natural habitat is on the banks of water bodies and in the forest, and artificially planted trees are often found in parks and alleys. ...

Elms are resistant to harsh living conditions - they tolerate both excess moisture and drought. The trees easily cope with both the cold winters in the north and the hot equatorial climate. Birch bark can grow on sands near rivers, rocks, pebbles and saline soils. All unusual conditions will only affect the growth rate - the worse the land and the climate, the slower the tree will grow.

Planting an elm in your own yard or summer cottage is quite simple. It is not necessary to look for ready-made elm seedlings - you can germinate shoots using seeds. If you follow the correct sequence of actions, the first shoots will appear very soon.

Consider the step-by-step instructions for growing seedlings from seeds:

• it is necessary to collect nuts after the birch bark has faded;
• after collecting, place the seeds on moistened cotton wool or cheesecloth;
• be sure to treat future shoots with an antifungal agent - a fungicide, this will protect the shoots from diseases that are difficult to cure after emergence;
• after two or three days, the seed will sprout, then they must be transplanted into a container with black soil or humus-enriched soil, in such conditions the elm will grow as quickly as possible;
• loosen and moisten the soil before planting;
• plant sprouts at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other and to a depth of 2-3 cm;
• cover the planted seeds with cotton wool, hay or moss, this will create favorable conditions for raising the shoots;
• be sure to water the soil every day;
• after 10-12 days, the sprouts will rise and grow stronger enough, then the covering material can be removed.

Young sprouts have a good enough attitude to sunlight, therefore, in favorable weather, it is recommended to expose them to an area illuminated by rays.

Transplanting seedlings into the soil is carried out a year after germination, during which time the sprouts will get stronger and grow by about 20-25 centimeters. Home-grown and purchased sprouts of smooth elm are planted in the same way. Young trees are not afraid of moisture, they are not capricious to the soil and air temperature in the warm season. In the first few years after planting, it is necessary to protect the young tree from cold and wind; in winter, the shoot must be wrapped up.

On hot summer days, it is recommended to regularly water the elm, but in the rainy season it is better to refuse to moisten the soil around the tree. In order for the root system to receive the required amount of nutrient fluid, the soil around the trunk must be periodically loosened.

If your goal is to quickly grow a healthy, smooth elm with a chic, spreading crown, make sure that the soil is sufficiently hydrated and enriched with nutrients. Ilms also grow beautifully next to other trees, so you can plant them in the alley, forming mixed plantings.

Also, caring for birch bark consists in cutting off defective branches and forming a neat crown. If you carefully monitor the condition of the tree and remove dried, twisted and damaged branches in time, this will significantly extend the life of the elm.

There are methods of propagation using sprouts from a stump and root adventitious buds, but the best option for planting elms is seed germination. You can grow seeds immediately after harvesting - they do not need additional preparation. It is very important to germinate the seedlings as quickly as possible and transplant them into the soil, because with every day of delay, the quality of the nuts decreases, and accordingly, the likelihood of the appearance of shoots decreases.

Let us consider in more detail the method of propagating elms using seeds.

• Plant the seeds in the prepared soil, the distance between them should be at least 30 cm.
• Lay a small amount of soil on top of the sowing, covering the seeds with a thin layer.
• To create favorable conditions for seed germination, it is necessary to moisten the soil well within 30-35 days.
• Before the onset of winter, sowing must be covered with fallen leaves, and after frost - with snow.
• You can transplant young elms to a permanent place a year after sowing, it is best to do this in the spring.

Transplanting small trees is not difficult, because their roots are still quite compact.

In order for your elm to live a long life and delight the look with a beautiful healthy crown, it is necessary to protect the tree from diseases and pests. That's why it is wise to read the list of possible pathogens and harmful beetles.

It is caused by a fungus that bark beetles carry from tree to tree. Due to this disease, the elm cannot receive normal nutrition and after a month it weakens and slowly dies.

These are caterpillars that cause premature fall of foliage, in addition, birch bark becomes more vulnerable to diseases after it is affected by these pests.

The most common pest. Beetles penetrate the bark and feed on wood, while disrupting the normal metabolism inside the elm.

This is a disease caused by very small insects - they look like bumps on birch bark branches. If you do not stop the reproduction of these beetles, then they can disrupt the movement of the sap, after which the trees quickly wither, cease to bear fruit and soon die.

Smooth elm will decorate both a summer cottage and a city alley or park. The tree is unpretentious, drought-resistant and easy to form. Also, the elm gets along well with other types of trees, which allows you to create interesting compositions, for example, planting a spruce or acacia next to it. In addition to landscaping and decoration, the elm also does an excellent job of cleaning the air from soot, smoke and dust.

Karagach grows very quickly with proper care, this is an advantage when you need to quickly create a green area or grow a hedge. Elms are very often planted in parks and alleys, because their crown is easily formed and becomes a decorative decoration of the landscape.

Some types of birch bark look great on lawns and lawns, but it is better not to plant them next to flower beds. - dense leaves leave a shade in which most flowers will not survive. But such shading has its own plus - if you grow a smooth elm in a summer cottage, then his shade will become a refuge from the sun on hot summer days. An ordinary elm tree with a dense crown will look great next to apple, mountain ash, cherry and bird cherry trees. Also, birch bark will perfectly fit into a garden made in the Japanese style - "rock garden".

You can learn about the medicinal properties of smooth elm from the video below.