Helppppppppppppppppppppppppp

I bought a bougainvillea standard, got it home and promptly cracked the stake at ground level and the plant fell over and SNAP!! It was not a clean break. A little more than halfway thru the trunk. It was over 1 inch long and jagged.

I stuck a new stake in the other side and stood the tree back up and used masking tape to tape the trunk back together. This happened this AM. Tonight there is no wilting yet.

Does masking tape work? Any special instructions?

The break is almost at the pot level. See the masking tape?

This is what it looks like.

Oh, gosh. What rotten luck.

It will come back from the root, but not as a tree. You will have the joyful challenge of training it...but it will come back.

I would take the masking tape off ,and get a roll of surgical tape and use that instead, then do not take the tape off ,just let the elemants desolve it ,Rain, sun, ect.

As long as their is some cambrian layer on the other side of the break, their should be enough nutrients passing through to supply the top.Their is to much risk of rot useing masking tape as it does not breath.

By surgical tape do you mean paper tape? The hypoalleric kind?

Years ago I used raffia twisted around to keep a Japanese Maple together that had cracked. It worked. I wonder if I should try that again. Tape is just so much easier.

Thanks

Hi Kell... darn.. doncha hate it when things like that happen!! I had a huge branch on one of mine snap almost completely off when I hit it mowing. Anyway, I took some of that florist tape and taped the branch back up and the thing is now blooming.. I'm really surprised as the crack went almost all the way through.

I think the raffetta or however you spell it would work.

Maybe wax, like for grafting?

I don't know if masking tape works but I use duct tape on my boo boos with success so far.

Hi Kell, that is a beauty and I hope you can save it. What I did one time in a similar situation was to use 2 popsicle sticks (like splints) and wrap good with jute twine. After a while, it mended itself. Good luck. Linda

So sorry, Kell. I've done that myself so don't feel bad. I like Linda's idea if you can manage it. I don't know much about grafting, but eventually the tree mends itself by growing back together, doesn't it? I hope so!

Heck, use duct tape...if it can keep a nascar together at 200 mph, it can hold a tree together until it heals....:)

Yeah!

Amazingly, this has not wilted at all! I have it in the shade. I hope it makes it. It is is still maintaining that big canopy which was too big for the skinny trunk to begin with! LOL.

I'm keeping my fingers X'd for you Kell!

Thanks Brinda!

Thats awesome Kell,hope you save it

I would use that tape that is like a elastic bandage,it self sticks,it lets the trunk breath........
Its the stuff they wrap horses legs in too
comes in all kinds of colors.....