My beautiful old Damson Tree broke in the winds over the weekend.

the main trunk is sheared away diagonally about 4ft up with most of
the tree now on the ground (with bemused hens clucking about it), but
about 20% of the branches are still on the remaining trunk which I'd
like to try and save.

Is there anything I should do to help or should I just leave it to
nature?

Any help appreciated,

John Seed

In article , (John Seed) writes:
| My beautiful old Damson Tree broke in the winds over the weekend.
|
| the main trunk is sheared away diagonally about 4ft up with most of
| the tree now on the ground (with bemused hens clucking about it), but
| about 20% of the branches are still on the remaining trunk which I'd
| like to try and save.
|
| Is there anything I should do to help or should I just leave it to
| nature?

Essentially the latter. And read Oliver Rackham for consolation.

If there is plenty of bark connecting the fallen bit to the roots,
it will continue to live; otherwise collect some flowering shoots
for the house and turn the rest into firewood. The intact bit
will live and crop until it, too, crashes to the ground. The
main stem may or may not be hollow by then.

You can attempt to reduce fungal attack to the heartwood, but the
breakage was probably caused by previous fungal attack anyway.
I would attempt that if it clearly wasn't, by smoothing off the
wood and covering with some suitable gunge, but I know of little
evidence that it makes much difference.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 22 Mar 2004 14:54:03 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


You can attempt to reduce fungal attack to the heartwood, but the
breakage was probably caused by previous fungal attack anyway.
I would attempt that if it clearly wasn't, by smoothing off the
wood and covering with some suitable gunge, but I know of little
evidence that it makes much difference.


Most practitioners would only apply the gunge in very unusual
circumstances. I'd just try to smooth it a bit as you suggest and if
possible try to shape the cut surface to shed rainwater - otherwise
not a lot you can do.

Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

"John Seed" wrote in
message
om...
My beautiful old Damson Tree broke in the winds over the
weekend.

the main trunk is sheared away diagonally about 4ft up
with most of
the tree now on the ground (with bemused hens clucking
about it), but
about 20% of the branches are still on the remaining trunk
which I'd
like to try and save.

Is there anything I should do to help or should I just
leave it to
nature?

Any help appreciated,

If you want to protect the wound, tidy and smooth it as much
as possible, then paint it with a few coats of acrylic paint
of a colour which approximately matches the bark. Once dry,
it is waterproof and will keep fungi out.

Franz

"John Seed" wrote in
message
om...
My beautiful old Damson Tree broke in the winds over the
weekend.

the main trunk is sheared away diagonally about 4ft up
with most of
the tree now on the ground (with bemused hens clucking
about it), but
about 20% of the branches are still on the remaining trunk
which I'd
like to try and save.

Is there anything I should do to help or should I just
leave it to
nature?

Any help appreciated,

If you want to protect the wound, tidy and smooth it as much
as possible, then paint it with a few coats of acrylic paint
of a colour which approximately matches the bark. Once dry,
it is waterproof and will keep fungi out.

Franz

Thanks for your help on this.

I think I will try and let nature take its course. It does actually
look as though it has lost branches in the past, though not on this
scale.

I am philisophical about it, there is actually another much smaller
damson tree/bush next to it that I was going to trim back this year to
stop it enroaching, but I suppose I can let it grow now.

John Seed

Thanks for your help on this.

I think I will try and let nature take its course. It does actually
look as though it has lost branches in the past, though not on this
scale.

I am philisophical about it, there is actually another much smaller
damson tree/bush next to it that I was going to trim back this year to
stop it enroaching, but I suppose I can let it grow now.

John Seed

Thanks for your help on this.

I think I will try and let nature take its course. It does actually
look as though it has lost branches in the past, though not on this
scale.

I am philisophical about it, there is actually another much smaller
damson tree/bush next to it that I was going to trim back this year to
stop it enroaching, but I suppose I can let it grow now.

John Seed

Thanks for your help on this.

I think I will try and let nature take its course. It does actually
look as though it has lost branches in the past, though not on this
scale.

I am philisophical about it, there is actually another much smaller
damson tree/bush next to it that I was going to trim back this year to
stop it enroaching, but I suppose I can let it grow now.

John Seed