Back From The Grave (Sweet Gum)

I dug this up way to late in the season but my plan was to see if I could keep a deciduous alive. I thought it was dead for most of the growing season because it lost it's leaves a week after I dug it up. But it threw out new growth a week ago . I am going to keep it as a shohin, probably informal broom. Any comments welcome, and virtual.



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sorry for the sideways pics, if its a problem just comment and ill turn them

My golden rule is to never compost anything until after July 4th... glad to know they are resilient- I have a bunch in my growing field.

The good growth down low is nice, but I fear that most of the upper section of the tree may be dead. It looks that way, at least.

Ryan wrote:The good growth down low is nice, but I fear that most of the upper section of the tree may be dead. It looks that way, at least.

Ryan,

hahah ohhhhh yeah its dead, but thats fine with me im just glad the tree lived. Really there was more that died I just cut it off awhile ago. Yeah im glad there is new growth down low, It should thicken the trunk nicely.

BonsaiJim,

Thats not a bad rule , I dont know why I kept watering a "dead" tree but it seems to be paying off haha

Jake16 wrote:I dug this up way to late in the season but my plan was to see if I could keep a deciduous alive. I thought it was dead for most of the growing season because it lost it's leaves a week after I dug it up. But it threw out new growth a week ago . I am going to keep it as a shohin, probably informal broom. Any comments welcome, and virtual.

Actually, sweetgum may well prefer being collected in June rather than during winter. My success rate has been much higher when I waited. One tip: seal the chop to prevent moisture loss, and you should get budding higher up next time. Oh, and remove the leaves. Leaving them on doesn't help, especially if your temps are hot. Transpiration losses are hard on a newly collected tree.

Zach

Zach Smith wrote:

Jake16 wrote:I dug this up way to late in the season but my plan was to see if I could keep a deciduous alive. I thought it was dead for most of the growing season because it lost it's leaves a week after I dug it up. But it threw out new growth a week ago . I am going to keep it as a shohin, probably informal broom. Any comments welcome, and virtual.

Actually, sweetgum may well prefer being collected in June rather than during winter. My success rate has been much higher when I waited. One tip: seal the chop to prevent moisture loss, and you should get budding higher up next time. Oh, and remove the leaves. Leaving them on doesn't help, especially if your temps are hot. Transpiration losses are hard on a newly collected tree.

Zach

Yeah I dont have any cut paste, wish I did. And whats wrong with keeping the leaves?

The leaves lose moisture that cannot be replaced until the tree grows new feeder roots. Thus they pull moisture up through the sapwood and dry it out, leading to death of the tree. If you insist on keeping the leaves, then bag the tree for a couple of weeks and usually that's enough. You'll learn to judge how long, based on the tree's response.

But I just take the leaves off. Simplifies life.

Zach

Last question But how will the tree keep it's self alive with out leaves?

Jake16 wrote:Last question But how will the tree keep it's self alive with out leaves?

Similar to how it does in winter without leaves - stored energy. The tree wants to live, so when you dig it and cut both roots and top and leaves off, it tries to re-establish itself. As long as you don't stress the tree beyond its ability to recover, i.e., by desiccation, usually it'll live.

Zach