With the split bark and now the fungus I have a feeling this flowering cherry is beyond help although there is still some life in the branches. Any point in tryng to take hardwood cuttings or is it likely to cause more problems than its worth?
[img]https://frogesque.com/21oct05/fungus2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/21oct05/fungus3.jpg[/img]
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The Helpful Gardener
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- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
Too early to give up yet...
The absence of a trunk flare let's me know that burying this tree too deep is the cause of any issues it is having (I'd say it's the leading cause of tree trouble, period) Pull that mulch and attendant fungii away from the base of the tree (out to about 30" away from the trunk so you can see the trunk flare and surface roots) How about some images of the top? Might help finish my diagnosis...
Let this be a warniong to all who read this; Don't plant low or mulch high around those trees. It's a killer!
HG
The absence of a trunk flare let's me know that burying this tree too deep is the cause of any issues it is having (I'd say it's the leading cause of tree trouble, period) Pull that mulch and attendant fungii away from the base of the tree (out to about 30" away from the trunk so you can see the trunk flare and surface roots) How about some images of the top? Might help finish my diagnosis...
Let this be a warniong to all who read this; Don't plant low or mulch high around those trees. It's a killer!
HG
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frogesque
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- Posts: 39
- Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:29 pm
- Location: Kingdom of Fife, Scotland: 56.2°N, 3.2°W
Thanks for the reply HG
I took some more photos today, sorry about the quality - heavy rain for the last 4 days and poor light. It isn't my tree I'm afraid and the owners want the mulch as it is - it was just laid down this summer!
The trunk is split through the wood right down to the centre though and extends up the trunk for about 2 feet - you can see the fresh splitting in the wood. This apears to be a recurrent (annual ?) problem.
Looking at the tree again today I'm not sure if it is a prunus. Might be a malus but really I don't know. A lot of healed scarring on the branches.
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree3.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree4.jpg[/img]
The area near the tree is conjested and it needs pruning because it overhangs the road and sidewalk. Around it are rhodes, a golden malus, a magnolia, hydrangeas, conifers and this lovely acer. Soil is naturally acidic. The mulch stops just behind the rhode so the acer is in natural soil.
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/acer.jpg[/img]
I took some more photos today, sorry about the quality - heavy rain for the last 4 days and poor light. It isn't my tree I'm afraid and the owners want the mulch as it is - it was just laid down this summer!
The trunk is split through the wood right down to the centre though and extends up the trunk for about 2 feet - you can see the fresh splitting in the wood. This apears to be a recurrent (annual ?) problem.
Looking at the tree again today I'm not sure if it is a prunus. Might be a malus but really I don't know. A lot of healed scarring on the branches.
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree2.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree3.jpg[/img]
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/tree4.jpg[/img]
The area near the tree is conjested and it needs pruning because it overhangs the road and sidewalk. Around it are rhodes, a golden malus, a magnolia, hydrangeas, conifers and this lovely acer. Soil is naturally acidic. The mulch stops just behind the rhode so the acer is in natural soil.
[img]https://frogesque.com/25oct05/acer.jpg[/img]
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The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT
The tree is obviously having nutritional deficiencies, and that trunk crack looks suspiciously fungal, but I think these are symptoms of my earlier diagnosis rather than root causes.
Well a systemic fungicide is in order at this point (hate to say it but there aren't good organic cures for that sort of thing). We are still just treating symptoms; really need to get those surface roots back to good or the winter will do this poor tree in. Try both of those cures and let us know how it goes; at least the fungii are going to sleep now too...
HG
Well a systemic fungicide is in order at this point (hate to say it but there aren't good organic cures for that sort of thing). We are still just treating symptoms; really need to get those surface roots back to good or the winter will do this poor tree in. Try both of those cures and let us know how it goes; at least the fungii are going to sleep now too...
HG