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davidrt28

thoughts on planting in the root zone of a doomed tree

davidrt28 (zone 7)
10 years ago

I have a Cupressus 'Golden Pyramid' that needs to be moved. (I was reminded of this due to the thread on conifers of a curious looking variegated one someone discovered in Europe.)
Near the edge of my property is a huge, 3' diameter Prunus serotina that is literally growing at a 50ð angle and is apparently dying. Fortunately, leaning away from my property, not on it. What I worry about is a well placed downburst will probably uproot it, and lift a huge chunk of soil. I can't really cut it because although that landowner is pretty tolerant of my efforts to keep weed trees controlled (not the same as one I've had a dispute with) it would be pushing my luck to let anything but nature finish the tree off.

I want to put the Cupressus very near the trunk...it would just look good in the spot. I'm creating a border of rare conifers along the northern edge of my property. (it won't be shaded because as implausible as it seems, the way the Prunus leans is toward the north, not the south) Rather than try to dig, which is proving impossible, how about I just use my front end loader to build a mound around the trunk, and plant the cypress in that? Worse case scenario, a lifting situation does occur, topping the conifer when it has gotten 8-16' high. I could just try to right it and build another rootball for it. Best case scenario, the Prunus finally dies, trunk collapses over a few years without lifting, leaving the Cupressus plenty of decaying material to feed on. As an added benefit, being on a mound is probably better for the dry-climate cypress anyhow.

I think the reason the Prunus grew at an angle, to the north, is it was once in the shade of a couple equally giant maples just to the south, now gone...and so the best way to get light way actually to reach 'behind' them, not in front of them, so to speak. Or maybe it just was toppled itself, many years ago.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Fri, Jan 17, 14 at 15:42

Comments (8)

  • j0nd03
    10 years ago

    How about doing as you propose but girdle the prunus with a chainsaw maybe dab a little undiluted glycosphate into the outer living layers, killing the top and eliminating the "sail effect" with wind events? Then it would quickly rot and break off without causing a soil upheaval. The roots would also start to rot if the whole tree is killed with the glycosphate and at that point even if it did uproot, some of the roots (more than normal if it were healthy) would break when the force was applied to the tree trunk.

    I think this makes sense...?

    John

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes, I was actually thinking of speeding the demise of the Prunus but didn't want to shiver anyone's timbers, no pun intended.

    As you point out though, eliminating the leaf canopy would reduce the risk of a downdraft/microburst causing it to come crashing to the ground. With the way the thing leans, it's surprising it hasn't already happened.

    Apologies if this post doubles - I felt like I'd already responded but maybe I forgot to press submit.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    if it pulls itself out of the ground.. falling over.. i doubt there is anything you can do for the babe ... planting it that close

    a pic might help us understand the situation ... better

    ken

  • Embothrium
    10 years ago

    If the cherry is having pathogenic issues those could affect the cypress. Honey fungus, for instance. And with that one if you plant near stumps in a wood situation you can have it grow out from stumps and kill planted specimens many years after planting.

  • bengz6westmd
    10 years ago

    Well avast there, Davey Jones. Shiver me timbers & hoist the mizzenmast. Arrrrrrrrrrrrr! :)

    Seen black cherries at crazy angles lasting a long, long time, if in good enough health.

  • mikebotann
    10 years ago

    I like John's method. I'd even remove as many branches as possible to reduce the load.
    Mike

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Beng...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiver_my_timbers
    " It is employed as a literary device by authors to express shock, surprise or annoyance."
    I was thinking the annoyance angle. It could potentially annoy readers of a trees forum that I would dare consider killing one. The base of the trunk is entirely on my land, but the bulk of it overhangs some scrubby woodlands that do not belong to me.

    "If the cherry is having pathogenic issues those could affect the cypress. Honey fungus, for instance."
    Thanks, I'm still not convinced honey fungus actually kills many healthy trees around here. But it's definitely present because it appeared last summer on the trunk remnants of a 100' White Oak that fell about 5 years ago...definitely acting as a saprophyte in that case. (and speaking of property lines, the country folk were delighted to have so much harvestable white oak firewood. It fell on their land.) Fascinating organisms. The cherry may not actually be that unhealthy, it just looks like crap because it gets partly defoliated by tent catepillars.

    This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sun, Jan 19, 14 at 9:49

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    10 years ago

    The base of the trunk is entirely on my land

    Here as far as the law is concerned, that makes it 100% your tree.

    Laws vary of course--have you checked what they are in your area?