Ailing Franklinia

[William Wagner]

I have a 35 year old Frankinia that has been slowly self pruning. We are currently down to a Y shape which I had hoped to avoid. This is the only tree we own that some folks call about sometimes to inquire on it's status. Some sort of registry? We love having a tree that blooms in august that also has some local lore attached to it. Franklinia was named for Ben franklin by his friend John Bartram. None exist in the wild ! Weird !!

Well yesterday I noticed a split forming between the two major branches. The main trunk is about 5 inch in diameter and the two branches about half of that. I was wondering about support. My Dad who knows a lot more than I said Drill it and put a rod with treads thru it. Use large washers and bolt it four times. Two on each branch,

Any thought on dealing with this issue?

Many Thanks!

Bill

[Jim Kingdon]

Hmm, don't know if you are in it but there is some kind of census at:

don't know, do the people calling seem to know anything about how to keep it healthy? Or are they part of a tree organization which might?

You'll probably get differing opinions, and I'm certainly not enough of a tree expert to even say which opinions are right.

[William Wagner]

Thanks for the link ! I'll plant two this fall from Fairweather Gargens not that far away. Maybe 20 miles.

Bill

[symplastless]

I would have to see the patient to make recommendations. A cable and rod PROPERLY installed sounds like it might work. Where are you located? I would like to place a sample under the microscope. Anyway where are you? I am close to Bartram gardens. We do cabling and braces here. Maybe in the winter I will work on a web site on cabling and bracing. The biggest job with such work is where to place the cable and the brace. That's why I would have to see the patient to make recommendations. Sorry. It does sound like a good candidate for such a treatment, properly. Are you in the Phila area?

[symplastless]

Also here are some additional suggestions.

[symplastless]

Bill

I would be willing to take a look at it if you are in the area.

[William Wagner]

[e-mail]

I'm in Franklinville, NJ

Thanks for the feed back!

Bill