Dead/dying Elm

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Gearhead660

Minister of Fire
Dec 20, 2018
1,077
Southern WI
Last year I noticed an Elm that was losing its leaves in middle of summer. Today I noticed many holes in the bark and was able to peel a large chunk of bark off. Dutch elm disease?
[Hearth.com] Dead/dying Elm
[Hearth.com] Dead/dying Elm
 
Last year I noticed an Elm that was losing its leaves in middle of summer. Today I noticed many holes in the bark and was able to peel a large chunk of bark off. Dutch elm disease?
View attachment 276950
View attachment 276951
It looks that way to me with the bark beetle trails visible. The silver lining is that elm is a good wood to burn and I burn lots of American Elm.
 
I would get it cut, split and start drying as soon as possible. Elm has a tendency to develope fungal rot from the inside, and would very quickly becomes light and useless.
 
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I would get it cut, split and start drying as soon as possible. Elm has a tendency to develope fungal rot from the inside, and would very quickly becomes light and useless.
Yes that’s right, I’ve cut good elm and then I hadn’t split it for awhile and ended up throwing some of it into the woods but if it’s not too bad I’ll burn it in the stove.
 
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It looks that way to me with the bark beetle trails visible. The silver lining is that elm is a good wood to burn and I burn lots of American Elm.
Hate having to cut down trees in my yard, but this one will have to come down.
 
Elms that are getting the dutch elm disease around here seem to last 15yrs or so before they die. So there are a lot of younger trees around, then waves of die off of the 6-12" dia ones. They are very prolific, and seed in quickly. Any elms I assume are temporary and a nice fill in for the woods. It's tough to cut live trees, and so far I haven't needed to, but it's just as bad to have a large tree down on a trail, and have to cut into it and end up tossing it aside. Elms are about the only ones where large logs here are just left to lay and rot.