Is it doomed?

[che]

Husband came in and said it looked like we have more firewood. I got the flashlight out and went and found this. I had been working in that part of the garden earlier in the day, I spent at least a half hour right where it hit the ground. Since I had my Peltor radio earmuffs on, I'm glad it waited until I left to split!

I cut down what I could reach to get it off my plants, but is there something I should do to the trunk besides just cutting the limb off? It's just a hackberry, but when I get that garden going again it's a great shade tree.

Thanks,
Che

 

[Toronado3800]

Thank goodness for good timing! This gonna free up any sun for that garden?

 

[Guy Meilleur]

GArdens that have evolved under a shade tree are ruined by its loss. Death, disease and general ugliness are followed by bringing in sun plants, including new trees which force constant adaptation by the lower plants.

Sometimes yes removing a tree is done to help a new garden, but it seldom helps an old garden.

 

[che]

The last thing I want is more sun. I have plenty....in fact that's why this garden is a mess, I've been moving the daylilies to a field where they get full sun.

I live on 240+ acres (we just acquired a small piece that connects our home and our farm)....and among the thousands of trees here, there are only a few dozen that have any significance or specific purpose to me. This was one of them....not a sentimental loss, but I'm not happy about it.

It's obvious that this was not a recent 'injury', some of the wood within the split looks weathered....I'm just curious to see how it will last, even if its not pretty, I want the shade. I will cut off the offending branch best I can....there is no 'collar' so I'm assuming I just cut it almost flush (without damaging more) and keep my fingers crossed. I will also try to be more observant! Can't believe I didn't see this coming.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

"I'm just curious to see how it will last, even if its not pretty, I want the shade."

I would too. You can keep that tree around a good long time.

"It will never amount to a good, large, mature tree."

By correcting these defects, it can live to be a decent, medium-sized tree.
That fork is horrible, but can't it be braced?

"I recommned cleaning up the damage, planting a new tree as close to that one as you want, and then slowly trim away at the hackberry to give room to the new tree. In time the new tree will replace the old."

I do not disagree with mm here. The slow trimming he espouses here needs to be done at the ends of the branches that have the bad attachment, to lessen the strain there. A long pole pruner should do the job.

Long-term replacing the shade with another tree sounds like the best idea. If space does not allow that, this hackberry can be managed to provide these benefits indefinitely.

 

[Stumper]

Che,It should recover/fill in just fine after you cut the split limb off. If it away from the house/sheds/parking area out there by the garden you could just leave it and not worry about the poor structure or a replacement tree. Mike and Guy aren/t wrong but If there isn't anything likely to be damaged it is worth remembering that trees often live out a long life (despite poor branch structure) without failing.:angel:

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Stumper
trees often live out a long life (despite poor branch structure) without failing.:angel:

Look again at the picture, Stumper. That devil of an included-bark defect will be greatly aggravated by decay from the new wound. Mike is right about the codit of hackberry.

Leaving the tree alone will not produce the desired results.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

It's a raw deal when one of a trio of a trio main limbs goes bye-bye like that.

It would almost be worth a try for a few years - had not that limb left such a massive wound on the one side.

Even bracing would do little for safety.

The death of a tree - is the birth of a log !

More trees where that came from.