Crooked Allee Elm - Ask Extension
I planted this Allee Elm last spring. It has a significant lean. Should I pull it straight with a rope or something? Or will it straighten up on its...
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Crooked Allee Elm #868258
Asked May 13, 2024, 4:33 PM EDT
I planted this Allee Elm last spring. It has a significant lean. Should I pull it straight with a rope or something? Or will it straighten up on its own?
I was tied loosely to the fence per the instruction from the Littleton's Tree program to secure the tree from being blown over for the first year.
Thanks,
Brian
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello Brian,
This tree will not straighten itself as it grows. It will need some intervention but it's possible to fix the situation. First, I'd like to ask you a few questions.
-Can you describe how it was planted; i.e., was it in a container, a root ball in a burlap wrapping or bare root?
-Was there anything done to the planting hole before placing the tree?
-I see some discarded landscape fabric in the picture. Is there any fabric around the tree?
-How has it been watered since it was planted; i.e., did it receive any winter water when the ground was not frozen?
Thanks for the further information and I'll get back to you asap.
This tree will not straighten itself as it grows. It will need some intervention but it's possible to fix the situation. First, I'd like to ask you a few questions.
-Can you describe how it was planted; i.e., was it in a container, a root ball in a burlap wrapping or bare root?
-Was there anything done to the planting hole before placing the tree?
-I see some discarded landscape fabric in the picture. Is there any fabric around the tree?
-How has it been watered since it was planted; i.e., did it receive any winter water when the ground was not frozen?
Thanks for the further information and I'll get back to you asap.
See responses below. This is one of three trees I planted. The rest are straight up. The curve happened over the winter. We are debating if heavy snow did it. We knock snow off trees, but this one may have still been impacted.
Thank you for your help,
Brian
I would not necessarily give up on this tree but there are some problems that will need to be addressed.
First, there is quite a bit of dead wood in this tree. All of it should be removed by pruning it out, including all the growth coming from the base of the tree. These are called suckers and they are taking energy from the tree. The tree may continue to put out suckers and they will always need to be removed. In addition, the leaves coming out of the base of the tree appear to be different from the leaves in the canopy of the tree. That indicates that this growth is probably coming from below the point of graft. There may also be a problem with the graft but it is hard to tell from the picture. I don’t think there is much that can be done at this point except to keep the suckers trimmed out.
This tree looks like it may not have received enough water since it was planted. If it is in a place where it gets a lot of sun, it will need plenty of water. This includes regular watering during the winter when the ground is not frozen. This will help the tree to become established. See link: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/635.pdf
There are several wounds on the bark of the main trunk that are presumably caused by the rope used to hold the tree in a vertical position. The movement of the tree in the wind may have caused these wounds as the rope rubbed against it. They will probably heal on their own. However, when supporting a tree, rope should not be used.
It will take some time to help the tree get to a vertical position. This will involve staking it and gradually pulling it in the opposite direction. This may take a year or so. The bottom of the tree looks more or less straight until several feet up from ground level. I would suggest purchasing a t-post and several woven tree straps from your local big box store. Secure the tree just above the area where it is bending and gradually pull it in the opposite direction.
See link below for more information:
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/?_gl=1*qddogp*_ga*OTI1NjIwOTkzLjE2NzQxNjExOTQ.*_ga_ZZ27K7HW51*MTcxNjE3MjU5OC4xODYuMS4xNzE2MTcyNjA5LjAuMC4w
First, there is quite a bit of dead wood in this tree. All of it should be removed by pruning it out, including all the growth coming from the base of the tree. These are called suckers and they are taking energy from the tree. The tree may continue to put out suckers and they will always need to be removed. In addition, the leaves coming out of the base of the tree appear to be different from the leaves in the canopy of the tree. That indicates that this growth is probably coming from below the point of graft. There may also be a problem with the graft but it is hard to tell from the picture. I don’t think there is much that can be done at this point except to keep the suckers trimmed out.
This tree looks like it may not have received enough water since it was planted. If it is in a place where it gets a lot of sun, it will need plenty of water. This includes regular watering during the winter when the ground is not frozen. This will help the tree to become established. See link: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/635.pdf
There are several wounds on the bark of the main trunk that are presumably caused by the rope used to hold the tree in a vertical position. The movement of the tree in the wind may have caused these wounds as the rope rubbed against it. They will probably heal on their own. However, when supporting a tree, rope should not be used.
It will take some time to help the tree get to a vertical position. This will involve staking it and gradually pulling it in the opposite direction. This may take a year or so. The bottom of the tree looks more or less straight until several feet up from ground level. I would suggest purchasing a t-post and several woven tree straps from your local big box store. Secure the tree just above the area where it is bending and gradually pull it in the opposite direction.
See link below for more information:
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/?_gl=1*qddogp*_ga*OTI1NjIwOTkzLjE2NzQxNjExOTQ.*_ga_ZZ27K7HW51*MTcxNjE3MjU5OC4xODYuMS4xNzE2MTcyNjA5LjAuMC4w
