Beating a sapling with a news paper

[PTS]

OK this I gotta know. I was sitting down with my Grandmother tonight having Thanksgiving Supper and somehow we got on the topics of small trees taking off and growing fast. She said that her Aunt Jessie told her that if you go out every day and take a rolled up news paper and beat the trunk of the tree that it will make it grow faster. She claims that her and grandpa did this to a couple of my aunts trees that were very slow growing and that year they sky rocketed. SOOOOOO Fact or Fiction?

 

[DDM]

Maybe she got it confused and He was Beating your aunt jessie with a newspaper.

 

[tshanefreeman]

Your aunt's story/hypothesis is much like the theory that one can make a tree grow faster than normal if you shake the trunk of the tree to the point of insanity. The thought is that you are scaring the tree into thinking that it is going to die, therefore, making it grow to the upmost potential. Fact or fiction. You be the judge!

 

[PTS]

I should add that this aunt has been dead for many years. This is an OLD wives tale.

 

[DDM]

I should add that this aunt has been dead for many years. This is an OLD wives tale.

Was that a result of the beatings with the paper?

 

[PTS]

Didn't help

 

[treeseer]

There was research where plants were shaken and responded with thicker stem tissue. I often recommend flexing trunks or branches to retrain their growth, based on the same principle as guying, where adaptive tissue is added like compression and tension wood.

This may allow for more cell elongation and faster growth. Sometimes old wives and aunties know more than young scientists.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

There was research where plants were shaken and responded with thicker stem tissue.

The tree responds to excessive movement by growing thicker to minimize the movement, but this would slow the upward growth of the tree.

Sometimes old wives and aunties know more than young scientists.

I forget the guys name, but there was a guy that had a tv and radio talk show about gardening. He used the rolled up paper thing, and made his own fertilizer and bug spray made from tea, human urine and other stuff found at home. Some crazy stuff.

 

[rebelman]

is the newspaper made from bleached tree pulp or hemp? Tree's like paper made from hemp. It gives them hope for the future

 

[boo]

There was research where plants were shaken and responded with thicker stem tissue. I often recommend flexing trunks or branches to retrain their growth, based on the same principle as guying, where adaptive tissue is added like compression and tension wood.

This may allow for more cell elongation and faster growth. Sometimes old wives and aunties know more than young scientists.

That's right,
flexing causes a larger base, mostly effects secondary meristems.
Notice the base of a tree on the top of a hill normally has a larger, stronger base because it catches more wind, strengthens the tree.
Palm trees being the odd-ball, they don't have secondary meristems.
I think.

 

[treeseer]

"growing thicker to minimize the movement, but this would slow the upward growth of the tree."

Why would it slow upward growth? Any direct experience or research showing this, or just supposition that an increase in one kind of growth would disallow increase in another. Ain't necessarily so imo; at least it's not grounds for an absolute statement.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I don't know about rolled up newspaper, but this stuff is nothing short of amazing.

Some years back I sprayed one section of a newly planted wax leaf privet hedge with this stuff, and left the other section unsprayed. I did only TWO applications during the summer.

The next spring I found myself looking at the hedge and wondering what was going on. (I had forgotten the experiment.) I had one section of the hedge that was a good foot and a half taller, and much fuller and healthier.

I've used it on many other things since then. Great stuff.

 

[jp hallman]

I'm getting a good laugh out of this already. I won't discredit anything an elder tells me until it's proved otherwise though. Out of respect. However, I can see(with my mind's eye)the whole neighborhood out whacking the bejezzers out of the baby trees! I'm sure it wouldn't take long for the story to spread about town. Perhaps the "men in white coats" would start cruising around for some business. Why not put newspaper on your weed whacker? It would be much faster. Of course you'd have to reinforce the paper somehow. BBbbbbrrrrRRrrrrrr..."grow you little darlings!"

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i think a thicker stem from wind or other horizontal forces is logical, as is the lack of it, makes the stem weaker/ less diameter. i think that such a larger vessel can carry more nutritents and easier; for more overall growth in the long term. Also with a wider base for more stability/longevity.

My grandparents used old nylon stockings for tree supports. Over time i've come to respect this as a dynamic, light, nondegrading, breathable support for young trees. Their being from the depression era it was of course cheap to recycle this way(they also cut used envelopes open for scratch paper for memos, score pads for playing cards etc.). Also, nylon was respected as more of a miracle/newer substance to them; they sought not to take for granted.

 

[DDM]

How about just tying the family dog to the tree. Mine would give it a good workout.

 

[Stumper]

Actually the "flailing" theory was/is quite common in Appalachia. The curious thing is......Research we might expect to debunk it found that beating trees in early spring did influence earlier blooming and increased growth rates! Of course if overdone severe damage can happen to tender barked young trees. When I was reading the research 20 years ago there was nothing about long term changes just single seasosn comparisons of flailed and unflailed trees.

 

[DDM]

Excuse me Sir I must go beat my tree....................

 

[PTS]

I have to admit, this is one of the funnier concepts I have heard about but on the flip side of this, I thoroughly enjoy home remedy tips for my customers when they have questions and I can give them a solution they can do at home. In a sense I am cutting my own throat but on the flip side it helps to build good repore.

 

[alanarbor]

Finally, a new service we can charge for! Rush out and get your clients on a tree-beating program!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There is an old saying from england that beating wives and walnuts regularly helps make them more prodcutive.

With beating the trunk of a tree you induce a stress responce that makes them produce more seeds.