How can I save this tree please?

Discussion in 'Gardening Discussions' started by shonasdaddy, Jun 15, 2018.

  1. shonasdaddy

    shonasdaddy Apprentice Gardener

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    [​IMG]


    Sorry, i dont even know what this is called. I planted it around 8 years ago but decided to move it last summer to a more suitable location. Unfortunately I damaged some of the roots and around 2 months after replanting the leaves started going brown.

    I have left it in place since last summer hoping for the roots to regrow. This spring I cut back all the dead leaves hoping to encourage new growth but nothing. Have I not cut far enough back?

    It'ss definitely still alive, if I scrape the bark off the main stem, or many of the branches, there is green. And I can see new thin branches growing from the top, just no green leaves.

    Can anyone help please?

    Regards
     
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    • Marley Farley

      Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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      Hi @shonasdaddy and Welcome to GC.. Well I am sure someone will be along soon who might know more but to me that looks to far gone and it in its death throws.. Conifers which I am assuming that looking at your pic is, do not like to be moved once established.. You said you damaged the roots too, so unless you watered it all the time after you moved it sadly it won’t take.. It looks like that combination or root damage and lack of water after move have done for it.. So sorry to say, but hey maybe I am wrong and somebody else knows how to save it at this late stage.. :sad:
       
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      • shonasdaddy

        shonasdaddy Apprentice Gardener

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        No its been watered well and still growing, just no green leaves coming through at the moment.
         
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        • silu

          silu gardening easy...hmmm

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          Honestly I don't think you have a snowball in hell's chance if getting the tree to survive in any reasonable state to be honest.
          Personally I'd get the chainsaw going and pay a visit to a garden centre to buy a nice new replacement. Sorry to be so pessimistic but it's 10 months since you moved it and I can't see any green growth at all. Bar a few Conifers (Yew comes to mind) they don't respond to being pruned hard either. If you prune into the brown areas they do not regrow unlike deciduous trees.
           
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          • Gail_68

            Gail_68 Guest

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            Hello @shonasdaddy :sign0016: to GC and nice to have you with us :)

            I do have to agree with @Marley Farley and @silu conifers are touchy trees...it looks to me by the branches alone it's on it's way out sorry to say, even though you say there's still green in the bark...shame really it was moved as it looked like a good one one :)
             
          • misterQ

            misterQ Super Gardener

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            If it was me and I had a sentimental attachment to the tree then I would persist with it.

            The problem here is that not enough of the branches and canopy was removed at the time of transplantation. At least two thirds more should have been hacked off to reduce demand from the roots by the branches/leaves and to speed up recovery.

            You could remove more branches now and still retain the general shape of the tree if you layer or cloud prune it.

            Then just wait patiently for about two to three years to see greenery again.
             
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            • noisette47

              noisette47 Total Gardener

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              Sorry, misterQ, that advice might hold true for deciduous shrubs and trees, and Yew and Thuja, but most conifers simply don't regenerate when cut hard back. It would save shonasdaddy a lot of time, water and false hope to take it out now and replace it with a young, healthy tree.
               
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              • pete

                pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                You cant hack back a conifer like that and expect it to re shoot.
                Beat me to it noisette:biggrin:
                 
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                • silu

                  silu gardening easy...hmmm

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                  It's a conifer @misterQ are you having a laugh?? There is not a cat in hell's chance of most conifers responding to being cut down drastically apart from the likes of Yew which the tree in question is not. Have you ever heard of a tree doing basically nowt for 10 months and then burst into leaf all of a sudden. I'd bet on my Daughter's life that this tree will never ever recover to look even half decent. The only thing I could think of that might justify not cutting it down, would be to grow the likes of a vigorous (Montana say) Clematis through it.
                  I'm wondering if you are being a bit tongue in cheek? reminds me of the true story re Lester Piggott. Having finished tailed off (last by a long way)on a horse the very disappointed owners asked Lester (known for his drole sense of humour) what would be the best course of action to improve the situation. Lester without a flicker of a smile informed them that "a small piece of lead put in the horse's ear" would improve matters no end.:yikes: It took the owners some time to understand what Lester was meaning:rolleyespink:.
                   
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                  • noisette47

                    noisette47 Total Gardener

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                    You should see the sad, cut-in-half conifer hedges round here!:sad: Perhaps the labelling ought to be improved to warn folks about the need for light trimming only!
                     
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                    • pete

                      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                      Personally, I'd have preferred to put a small piece of lead in Lester's ear, but I guess that is illegal.:lunapic 130165696578242 5:
                       
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                      • pete

                        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                        Sorry but that statement doesn't really make much sense.
                        If it is growing it will be producing green shoots?
                        Surely.:scratch::smile:
                         
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                        • Phil A

                          Phil A Guest

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                          "It's worse than that, it's dead Jim..."
                           
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                          • Gail_68

                            Gail_68 Guest

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                            noisette47 I totally agree the neighbours at the back of our garden had their conifers lopped in half this year and ones dying through the centre and leaves are starting to die on our side...they have that done every two years :yikes:
                             
                          • Gail_68

                            Gail_68 Guest

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                            Pete it looks dead to me the tree stalks itself are white...the same colour my clematis went and my bottle brushes when I lost them...i'm the same as you mate [​IMG]
                             
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