UK gardening - plum tree split down middle

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plum tree split down middle

djhughes

2006-05-29, 11:21 am

Hello All,

I was wondering if any of you had some advice for me. I have a plum
tree which has split down the middle in a storm last week. Perhaps 60 %
of the tree is still upright. The split runs literally straight down the
middle of the trunk to the ground level. I think the problem has come
about because the previous owner of the house (or even the one before
that) left some twine around the tree and the trunk grew around it. One
side is lying on the ground but is still alive because the bark is
attached. The half which is upright is very stable.

I would like to be able to keep the upright part and am considering
cutting the braken part at ground level and painting the tree for
protection. Do you think this might work? Is the tree doomed? Can I use
bog standard paint? Any other advice?

Thanks for the help

Darren

--
djhughes

tahiri

2006-05-30, 7:21 pm

"djhughes" <djhughes.28ko7y@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:djhughes.28ko7y@gardenbanter.co.uk...
>
> Hello All,
>
> I was wondering if any of you had some advice for me. I have a plum
> tree which has split down the middle in a storm last week. Perhaps 60 %
> of the tree is still upright. The split runs literally straight down the
> middle of the trunk to the ground level. I think the problem has come
> about because the previous owner of the house (or even the one before
> that) left some twine around the tree and the trunk grew around it. One
> side is lying on the ground but is still alive because the bark is
> attached. The half which is upright is very stable.
>
> I would like to be able to keep the upright part and am considering
> cutting the braken part at ground level and painting the tree for
> protection. Do you think this might work? Is the tree doomed? Can I use
> bog standard paint? Any other advice?
>
> Thanks for the help
>
> Darren
>
Darren, from my experience plum trees and storms are a bad mixture. Although
I admit mine was fruiting when it got badly torn about. I reckon as long as
your stable upright 'half' is actually rather more than half it should
survive. If you feel the need to paint it use special tree wound paint, (
arbrex or similar name?) but I gather some people don't recommend it these
days. You may want to cut some more off the tree if the remains are
unbalanced - picture it to yourself with a big crop of large plums on and
decide if it would try and fall over like that! In fact don't let it have
too much fruit this year while it is recovering. If it doesn't get too many
more storms this year it may well put on a lot of growth next year - mine
did.
Good luck.
T.

djhughes

2006-05-31, 11:21 am

tahiri Wrote:
> "djhughes" djhughes.28ko7y@gardenbanter.co.uk wrote in message
> news:djhughes.28ko7y@gardenbanter.co.uk...
>
> Hello All,
>
> I was wondering if any of you had some advice for me. I have a plum
> tree which has split down the middle in a storm last week. Perhaps 60
> %
> of the tree is still upright. The split runs literally straight down
> the
> middle of the trunk to the ground level. I think the problem has come
> about because the previous owner of the house (or even the one before
> that) left some twine around the tree and the trunk grew around it.
> One
> side is lying on the ground but is still alive because the bark is
> attached. The half which is upright is very stable.
>
> I would like to be able to keep the upright part and am considering
> cutting the braken part at ground level and painting the tree for
> protection. Do you think this might work? Is the tree doomed? Can I
> use
> bog standard paint? Any other advice?
>
> Thanks for the help
>
> Darren
>
> Darren, from my experience plum trees and storms are a bad mixture.
> Although
> I admit mine was fruiting when it got badly torn about. I reckon as
> long as
> your stable upright 'half' is actually rather more than half it should
> survive. If you feel the need to paint it use special tree wound paint,
> (
> arbrex or similar name?) but I gather some people don't recommend it
> these
> days. You may want to cut some more off the tree if the remains are
> unbalanced - picture it to yourself with a big crop of large plums on
> and
> decide if it would try and fall over like that! In fact don't let it
> have
> too much fruit this year while it is recovering. If it doesn't get too
> many
> more storms this year it may well put on a lot of growth next year -
> mine
> did.
> Good luck.
> T.

Thanks for the advice. There is just over half left so hopefully it
will be OK.
Darren

--
djhughes

Thomas Fairweather

2006-05-31, 8:21 pm

It has been suggested in recent years not to use abrex it is best to let the
tree form its own 'scab' or callus.
If it is a large wound then infection will probably follow so it would be
best to replace the tree.
The other considerations are structural. ie will it fall down, could it be
dangerouse if it did and is there a strip of bark still attached running
from the bottom to the top. Just under the bark is the place where the food
and water is transported aroung the tree (cambium).If there is a strip
missing all round the tree then it is said to be ringed and will die
If only part then maybe ok. This can be repaired by grafting but bit tricky
to do.
If the tree has lost some of it's top work then it will probably be able to
cope but if it hasn't then you should comsider some pruning to keep the
roots and branches in balance. i.e. leaves not demanding too much from the
roots and vice versa.

"djhughes" <djhughes.28ko7y@gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:djhughes.28ko7y@gardenbanter.co.uk...
>
> Hello All,
>
> I was wondering if any of you had some advice for me. I have a plum
> tree which has split down the middle in a storm last week. Perhaps 60 %
> of the tree is still upright. The split runs literally straight down the
> middle of the trunk to the ground level. I think the problem has come
> about because the previous owner of the house (or even the one before
> that) left some twine around the tree and the trunk grew around it. One
> side is lying on the ground but is still alive because the bark is
> attached. The half which is upright is very stable.
>
> I would like to be able to keep the upright part and am considering
> cutting the braken part at ground level and painting the tree for
> protection. Do you think this might work? Is the tree doomed? Can I use
> bog standard paint? Any other advice?
>
> Thanks for the help
>
> Darren
>
>
> --
> djhughes

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