Elm (elm) - is a large tree, which in adulthood can reach 40 meters in height and 2 meters in diameter. Included in the family of elm, has a straight trunk with a branching top. With proper care, the plant can grow up to 300 years!
Description
The bark of a young elm has a smooth texture and a light gray tint, and with age it darkens and becomes covered with cracks. Externally, elm looks like oak or mulberry. But elm has a distinctive leaf shape and easily recognizable fruit, so it cannot be confused with anything else. The fruits are round, flattened lionfish, with a seed in the center. Seeds ripen in early summer, and the tree begins to bear fruit annually at the age of 7-8 years. 
The shape of the leaves of the elm is pointed, not symmetrical, the leaves of the elm have falling stipules. Elm begins to bloom in early spring, at which time excellent photos of this tree, as well as its flowers and leaves, are obtained. Before the plant is covered with the first foliage, long shoots of inflorescences will start growing from its buds. They bloom into bunches of seeds, and the wind will spread them in the nearest district.
Elm has a very powerful root system that goes deep underground. Some roots grow very high or are pushed out from below by other roots, so the tree has many surface roots. 
Where elm grows
Distributed on the banks of rivers, hills, plains, in the mountains, near the lakes. One of the main properties of elm wood is resistance to decay when in contact with water, so it grows very well near various water bodies.
Lighting
Elm can grow in shading, but loves well-lit places. It grows particularly well in fresh air and sunlight. When grown indoors, it is necessary to provide it with an even and sufficient amount of light. After all, if on one side of the elm will fall more light than on the other, the tree will twist in the direction of lighting. This is because the upper shoots fall off, and new ones come to replace them. 
The soil
Ilm loves alluvial, fertile soils that trap moisture well. Also, the soil must be acidic and contain a lot of organic matter. But some species can grow in saline soils and dry areas.
Did you know? The property of elm to resist rotting upon contact with water was used in medieval Europe, where water pipes were made of elm trunks hollowed from the inside. Also, elm wood was used to build the supports of the first London Bridge (but this resistance to rotting in the water is lost upon contact with the soil).
Features of planting and breeding
Elm planting occurs in fertile, loose and fresh soil that contains alkali. In the future, proper planting will facilitate tree care. When planting, be sure to add lime, which will improve the nutrient medium for the tree and enrich it with elements such as nitrogen, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.
Breeding elm mainly seeds. To do this, you need to collect the seeds a week after harvest and plant them in a small container. The soil should be fertile, it is not worth bury the seeds, literally 2-5 mm deep.
Learn how to propagate a strawberry tree and acacia seeds.
It will be advisable to maintain a high soil moisture for the first two weeks after planting, and also cover the container with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse and good conditions that can be easily controlled. In a fertile soil saturated with minerals, with good watering and lighting, the plant rises a week after planting.
Also, when propagating trees, cutting is used. Late spring cuttings are cut, and then processed by stimulants that help root formation. Next, the cuttings must be put in the water and wait for root formation. After the first roots appeared, cuttings can be planted in a specially prepared soil. 
Watering
With the onset of the vegetative period, watering of elm should be regular. But after pruning, watering should be limited. The main thing is that the soil was evenly wet. In winter, water should be rare.
Top dressing
Feed the elm with organic fertilizer once every 2 weeks. Also, to ensure the fertility of the soil, sand, crushed stone, rotted compost are added in equal proportions. In addition, it is necessary to provide food and microorganisms that are contained in the soil around the tree, the best food for them will be fallen leaves of the tree and unchanged organic matter (weeds, compost). 
Top dressing depends on what your soil is. If it is enriched with minerals and nutrients, then special fertilizers will not be needed at all.
If your plant requires emergency nutrition, in critical cases, you can use top dressing through the leaves. In this case, all nutrients are absorbed much faster than if you feed it through the roots. It is important that after foliar application there should be no rain for at least 3-4 hours so that the leaves have time to absorb all the beneficial substances.
Crown formation
Krona thinned from January to April, forming takes all summer. With the help of the wire, you can give the crown any shape. It is only necessary to ensure that it does not grow into the bark, otherwise scars form on the tree, which will remain forever. The wire is left for a year. In general, elm is an unpretentious tree and does not need special care. 
Ilm tolerates pruning of leaves, but it is carried out not more often than once every 2 months or 3 years, you need to take into account the type of plant.
Familiarize yourself with the nuances of pruning grapes, cherries, peaches, pears, apples, plums, apricots.
To make the branches plural and healthy, you should:
- often shorten plant shoots at an early age;
- to form and maintain the desired length of shoots, the length should be such that the shape of the tree is freely maintained, and the plant is not outweighed anywhere;
- “light up” - remove branches that do not have leaves, so that the total crown receives more nutrients. To cut such branches need when the soil is well fertilized and contains all the necessary minerals. In this case, new shoots will grow very quickly, because the tree tissue is still soft. Such work is carried out during the entire period of growth. Cutting should be done so as to leave a leaf under the cut, without damaging the kidney, which must be turned in the direction of growth. Lighting helps to improve ventilation and light access to shoots inside the crown;
- remove dry and damaged leaves that periodically appear in the summer.
Proper and timely pruning of old trees in your country garden rejuvenation. Thus, fruit trees begin to produce more beautiful and tasty fruits.
Diseases and pests
Serious danger "Dutch elm disease". The fungus clogs the vessels in the branches and the trunk of the tree. A sign of the disease are twisted leaves of the tree. But even if there are none, the tree can still be infected, but in the easy stage. In this case, it will wither with each passing year. The leaves will later bloom and fall off earlier. Ultimately, the tree will die. 
To date, this disease has caused the extinction of the family of elm in forest-park zones. If you do not take measures to treat the fungus, the disease can destroy the entire population of the elm family.
Did you know? The fungus (Ophiostoma) was identified at the beginning of the 20th century in Holland, hence the name of the disease. However, it is believed that the fungus was brought to Holland from East Asia, and then spread to Europe and North America.Unfortunately, today there is no way to combat this disease. As a prevention, you need to arrange a quarantine and conduct a scheduled inspection of the tree. Also, individual trees can be protected by injecting a fungicide into the lower part of the trunk.
Another danger for elm is shield - an insect, which in appearance resembles pimples or growths on the branches of a plant. The appearance of these pests is diagnosed on white or yellow spots on the leaves. If the spots are white, it means that it is an ordinary scab, otherwise it is brown. This insect can greatly harm the plant, it sticks to the branches, fruits, leaves, tree trunk and disrupts the movement of sap. 
The tree ceases to bear fruit and slowly languishes, and after a while it completely dies.
If a tree is severely affected, then it should be uprooted and burned so as not to infect other trees.
Important! The shrimp can be infected shoots that are used as a graft material. Therefore, acquiring them, you need to inspect the seedlings for the presence of a pest.Growing a tree such as elm is a very long, but not time consuming process. If you follow the basic rules of cultivation and do not allow the appearance of pests, then grow a healthy and beautiful giant who will be the pride of your estate.
