limb reattachment

[treeman82]

Hey guys, I picked up a shrub pruning job last week. Good size job, paying by the hour. A couple of the large rhodi's got pretty messed up by the snow plows this year, the weight of the snow broke some good size branches. One of the branches though is still somewhat in tact. The branch is about 2 inches in diameter, and really makes the plant, not to mention it covers up a utility box pretty well. The break is longitudinal? and is about half way through the limb. What I am thinking about doing is;
1) carefully pull snow away
2) drop crotch prune broken branch
3) pull branch up to the height it should be
4) attach cable of some form from the damaged limb to a higher crotch on the rhodi
5) drill a few holes and put stainless steel wood screws through the break.
6) take a 2x2 or 2x4, painted... cut a V in the top, drive the bottom into the ground and use it to help support the damaged limb
7) take some wet peat moss and put it by the break
8) wrap break with saran wrap.

What do you guys think? Will it work?

 

[Reed]

It can be done - depending on the porosity of the vascular tissue remaining and any comparmentalization that's occurred.

I would also suggest a paint-dab of a rooting hormone on freshly-cut recieving surfaces (Like Shultz' TakeRoot). The support mechanisms you describe should hold it well, providing no movement until vascular cells can mend together. Thinkof it as a broken femir bone, needing absolute incapacity while it heals.

Good luck.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Once you pull it straight and support it, is it large enough to do do a couple bridge grafts?

 

[treeman82]

Reed, do you know how readily available that Take Root stuff is? I can only think of 1 local garden supply center that MIGHT have it.

 

[treeman82]

Mike, I am not familiar with the term "bridge grafts" could you please expand on that?

 

[Reed]

They shouold have it - it's alost as common as Schultz's other products. Indole (acidic) acid.

Grafting - cleft or otherwise. Just make certain both adhesion surfaces fit tightly but most importantly, tissue should be new, that means you might have to "score" some area.

You could tissue transplant from another less important area of limb. Get your ends together after rooting compound painted on -(make paste from powder) - make sure it's a tight closed-fit, then scribe out a square section that includes areas from both ends - and replace with a patch in exact proportions. Tape tightly, then adjust whatever scaffolds or supports you need to immobolize it for several weeks. It's goingt o need a bit more water than usual, keep the deep roots damp. Spray with garlic oil afterwards because some sucking insects like the sweet chemical reaction of hormone-stimulated cell growth.

Poof, you're not just an arborist anymore, you've had your first surgery. Maybe see if you can get a foxy nurse to help prep the patient?

 

[treeman82]

Thanks Reed. Your post really cleared up my points of confussion. It's funny that you mention the nurses... because this is at a doctor's office. Only problem is that NONE of the women who work there are good looking, but that's just coming from my 20 year old eyes.

 

[Reed]

Ah, but they might have friends.

Good luck. It works on Myrtles, oaks, fruits and nuts better than humans. We have a lemon/lime/orange citrus tree, a product of grafting after too many beers. This spring the scion from a pear tree appears to be flowering on it too.

Any suggestions for what's next?

 

[treeman82]

I guess you have got one stop shopping for when you start making drinks. Hows about planting some peanuts or cashews or something? Maybe a pretzel tree could be next?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

To answer your question to me, here's the first site I stumbled upon:


http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/facts/98-003.htm

 

[treeman82]

Mike, thanks for that link. I found it to be rather informative for how short in length it was.

 

[treeman82]

Well, I got the limb fixed up today. I have to go back tomorow, or later on in the week and re-wrap it, because I didn't have any peat moss with me today. What I did was:

1) drop crotch prune
2) lift limb up with helper
3) drill small holes and insert about 4 stainless steel wood screws
4) take 3 small pieces of tubing, and some 18 guage wire. Made a cabling system out of the 1 suitable anchor point
5) wrapped with saran wrap and tape.
6) take a 2x4, cut a V in one end, proped that up under the limb for additional support.

I went to the garden center today and all they said to do was use some grafting tape and isolate it. I didn't think that, that was the right way to go from what I hear from you guys and at school. Also, Mike- from looking at the branch, and seeing how much cambium was still in tact, I don't think that bridge grafting is really very necessary, or really fiesable. MAYBE 2 small bridges could be put in, but about 50+ percent of the cambium is still in tact.

 

[mquinn]

treeman - no doubt too late for this job, but here's a link to grafting techniques, illustrating the procedures. bridge grafts are toward the bottom of the page.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/grafting.html

 

[tshanefreeman]

I'm by no means experienced in the technique you are describing and attempting to accomplish. However, I do know that in plant propogation, the scaring of tissue, followed by the wrapping of moist/wet peat and plastic wrap is the process of 'air layering'. The goal in such a procedure is to promote the growth of adventitious roots which in turn can be used to grow a new tree, shrub, vine, or herbaceous plant from the parental stock. I worry that the same may happen to the area that you have treated?

 

[treeman82]

Just to get some new information on the subject:

The limb looks to be doing alright, no wilt or dieback or anything. I am sure that all this rain we have been getting lately has helped a lot. I was just wondering though, how long should I leave the saran wrap on for? Should I re-pack it with fresh, wet peat moss?