Usually for specific problems, I go to specific forums. Then I figured the NE forum gets the highest traffic and it's my favorite, so why not post here?
DH nicked a chunk of the bark off my 4 foot Japanese Maple with the lawn mower today. Here's a pic. See the nick on the right branch? What do I do?
Pic of the whole tree
As long as the nick doesn't go all the way around the stem it should be fine...it's when we "circle" the stems that trouble happens.
Leave it alone.
Really? It's gonna be okay?
And maybe put a circle of barbed wire (ok-maybe something else) around the trunk.
Don (who has committed the same crime) Shirer
LOL Don
Good idea Don!
It should be able to heal. Protection from any more cuts is a good idea.
This message was edited Aug 2, 2009 9:29 PM
Yeah, protection. I should mulch about 6' all around it. Do you all pay for your mulch? I haven't laid any down at all this year, and not much last year. The weeds are out of control, but I'm trying to be frugal. Someone told me I should call a tree cutting company for their chips.
Our township recycling center gives free mulch to residents.
Do you have freecycle up there?
I put out the last of about 12 yards of free wood chips I got last Fall. I made paths and filled beds and mulched EVERYTHING at least once. And then I dumped the last pile in my neighbor's yard. A dump truck full of chippings lasts a looooong time. I would recommend to get the chippings in the winter when the tress are dormant. Mine had lots of leaves and the center of the pile composted itself - which meant lots of worms and a few snakes but less chips for the pathways. I have found the best way to get chippings is to follow the sound of a chainsaw and ask for the chippings.
Yes, we have freecycle, but mulch is never on the list. Would you believe our town doesn't recycle? We still have to, but we have to pay the trash company to take it. There's no dump here, the crazy nuts. I wonder when they're gonna fix that.
Cat, you got 12 yards of free chips?! Excellent!! Follow the sound of the chainsaw! I'm on it!
Sawmills are a good source too ^_^
My mowers killed a butterfly bush, & 2 roses---they are supposed to mow on a fixed schedule, but hadn't shown up for 2 weeks---the grass was ankle deep---they are former students of mine----maybe it's a case of 'revenge by mower' for me!
my one neighbor said she picked up a load of mulch from our town... a few weeks later a ton of poison ivy popped up all over... I only needed to hear that once... we buy our mulch
Ugh! Poison ivy.
Poor tree, Harper! I think it will heal too....sure hope it does!
LOL, Don and Marilyn!! Funny!
That's a bad nick but it should heal. Young trees are resilient.
It'll have a little extra character now.
I like character!
I'm nursing 2 seedlings I found on a customers lawn 3 years ago. They have zoomed up to about 10 inches tall, lol. The winter moth caterpillars love them.
I have one red- branched section on my JM---I'm wondering if it's a witch's broom.
Sounds neat Marilyn. Got a photo?
Here it is, Harper---the lower leaves are the main color---
Beautiful color, Marilyn!!
Thanks--it really stands out next to the rest of the Jm.
Could it be some rogue branch? I've seen it happen on 'fancy' conifers where it reverts.
Yeah! Could be a witches broom! Neato!
OK, what's a Witches Broom?
Oh, Victor! My DH probably would agree that's me!
LOL!!
It's when you have a branch of a tree or shrub growing with different leaves or a different pattern on the same plant. Like if you have a plain green tree, but one branch is all variegated. That's a witches broom. Some people graft them, make new roots and create a new cultivar.
Thanks, Harper.
: )
Interesting, Harper! I have a variegated hibiscus in Florida that occasionally has a branch or two that aren't variegated. I didn't have a clue why!
Well, it's not so uncommon for a plant to have a broom that reverts back to plain from variegated, but it's special when it goes the other way around.
