is this my fault?

[treeman82]

I helped a friend out with something last October. He had a relatively large broken branch on one of the mazzard cherry trees at his office. I went over and secured it. Come today, it has plenty of nice big buds, but VERY few leaves.

About the tree: Mazzard cherry planted in a raised island spring 2001. Present height ~10 - 12' The soil is not from the site originally as far as I know. Smaller perennials are often being moved in and out of the garden which is relatively small (this is the largest plant in it). There is pavement nearby, however that is about 2 feet below the height at which this thing is planted.

Environment: Full sun. Another Mazzard cherry ~150 feet away on the other side of the parking lot which is doing fine. The parking lot is CONSTANTLY getting salted in the winter. All the snow and ice is blown off the lot and onto the sides, some of it gets into the planting island in question. Salt and all. There is a mature japanese maple planted ~50' away on the other side of some blacktop. That is now missing about 1/4 - 1/3 of the foliage that should normally be there.... branches are there, leaves aren't.

What I did: Pulled broken branch up tight with trunk. Drilled a hole through the rip and into the trunk. Put in (1) brass screw. Put in 2 small cables and 1 post to secure the limb. I then took some wet peat moss which I got from a friend (it had been sitting in his garage for a while) and placed it over the rip. I took some saran wrap and covered the rip and the whole general stem area with it. I taped up the saran wrap and covered it with some red and white rags to keep the saran wrap from frying the cambium.

This spring when it wasn't leafing out as it should have been, I removed the saran wrap and all that stuff. It didn't look messed up or anything... no rot, or discoloration.


Any thoughts?

 

[Stumper]

Fault? Sounds like you used above average care in trying to save a branch. Their aren't any guarantees.( well I guess you COULD guarantee success and pay out the wazoo for every failure.) A medical doctor very well might kill a patient through misdiagnosis or a slip of the knife - they get sued plenty but even in that scenario the standard is supposed to be reasonable care in accordance with accepted practices. So much is going on with living organisms- we do our best, smile when things work and shrug when they don't. -Keep learning what is likely to help instead of harm but don't fret over things.:angel:

 

[NeTree]

I'd say you're in the clear.

 

[Dadatwins]

Were any soil test done? Sounds to me like you were treating broken branch but not other conditions to help tree get through trauma. If tree is poisoned by salt and poor soil / location fixing broken branch is least of this trees problem. Tree cannot fix broken branch when it struggling to keep alive in what sounds like poor planting site. Just my opinion from a chair far away.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by Dadatwins
Were any soil test done? Sounds to me like you were treating broken branch but not other conditions to help tree

dada are you into chinese medicine

 

[The Best GM]

I'd like to find people that would pay me to have soil tests done.

 

[Dadatwins]

Not into chinese medicine but believe in being thorough when checking a problem and seeing the big picture when possible

Re: soil test
pretty simple here just take sample to local extension office or competent garden supply to get full picture.

Not trying to knock what the original poster tried it sounds like a lot of effort was put into saving broken branch but no sense to me if tree was destined to die because of other problems.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by The Best GM
I'd like to find people that would pay me to have soil tests done.

I find them all the time; or should I say they find me. A typical part of the $1/minute diagnosis visit is taking a soil sample, sending it to the state lab ($5., used to be free), and interpreting the results when they come back.

All it takes is knowing how to put dirt in a box, and some very basic chemistry.

Sometimes I use a portable pH meter; all the time I use a soil probe to show people what challenges their roots have. The roots are as important as the branches; if you don't know about the soil you don't know much about the tree.

 

[murphy4trees]

Guy I'd like to tag along on some of those "visits"... I would learn a lot....

 

[treeman82]

I was pretty sure that it wasn't my fault. However I can't help but think that the tree looked fine before the winter. Now... its pretty bare.

RE: soil tests.

I have had people pay for soil tests before... not a big issue to get paid for it or sell it.

The costs involved though, besides my time are:

Soil test "kit" $13.50 / each. 1 sample per kit.

Shipping via UPS ~$5.00 - $7.00 / sample.

2 weeks time from when I send it out till when I get the results back

Soil probe $55

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by treeman82
Soil test "kit" $13.50 / each. 1 sample per kit.
the kit I'm talking about is just a little box; NC gives them away thru the county ag ext agencies.
Shipping via UPS ~$5.00 - $7.00 / sample.
Doesn't your county send them in for you? I drop them off at the state lab; it's an advantage living close.
2 weeks time from when I send it out till when I get the results back
That's avg. here; up to 6 if in spring rush season.
Soil probe $55

Stainless steel close to that price; a great investment. I walk the site with it in my hand and plunge it into the ground around the trees in question. The soil core shows horizons and root depth, etc. Clients are amazed at the depth of the crappy subsoil builders smear all over a lot when theyu're done.
It's a very phallic instrument; very satisfying to show so much about the tree's health without cutting anything.

 

[treeman82]

The kit that they give me is basically so that I can send it in. They give me a bag, a special envelope, and a slip of paper for giving them the info that they need. I buy them at the local extension office. Then I fill them up and send them up to Ithaca.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by treeman82
They give me a bag, a special envelope, and a slip of paper

for $13.50? If it includes the test that's not so bad. So tack on for your time interpreting (30-60 min.?) and sell it as a service while you're doing your *free estimates*

If you see a symptom of soil problems this is the best service you can offer, and it leads to remediation work. (You only need a spoon, not a $55 soilprobe.) Often that's only weeding and mulching, but it's all work, isn't it?

If you're paid to manage only the aboveground portion, you may not get called until it looks bad. If you're paid for Plant Health Care, you're there regularly and treating problems before they look bad. Better for you, the customer, and the plants.

:angel:

O and Murph too bad the wedding keeps you out of the outdoor day at ISA. WE could look at the trees they use for demos. O well. O and suite or no suite?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It is possible that the brass screws are causing problems being that brass is a copper/zinc alloy

 

[NeTree]

Standard 250/260 brass also has lead.