We had a very beautiful, healthy coral bark maple tree which was about eight years old, and 10 feet high.
It was destroyed when a nearby tree fell onto it, leaving only a tall stem, with one sprig of leaves about a foot long sticking out of the side.
Question: What if anything can I do to restore this tree?
You can see a photo at:
Thanks. So I should just do nothing?
R> We had a very beautiful, healthy coral bark maple tree which was about
Who knew they'd try to eat a 4 foot tall tree in it's entirety. What they didn't eat, completely, they stripped the bark from. What was left looked similar to what you've got.
Back in the cage it went and it's recovered to it's 4 foot size this year.
I think your tree has a chance.
I'd clean up all the trash about and look around for any rotten trees nearby that may fall next. All I'd do is trim the broken end cleanly with a fine toothed saw and place the bottom half of an empty plastic water bottle on top to keep rain water out until it heals... if the cap collects condensation punch 2-3 small holes in the sides for ventilation... moisture will cause dry rot.
The page at does not completely download. I cannot see the photo.
Sorry for the trouble. I can't imagine what's wrong, because a couple of others seemed to have had no problem opening the page. Could it be that you have some sort of blocker turned on?
The page at does not completely download. I cannot see the photo.
Worked for me....
so water won't sit on the wood. Clean up any branch stubs that are splintered also. Then wait, and it's very likely to grow back. You'll need to do some careful shaping pruning most likely, but that will be next growing season.
If you're in a drought area, make sure you water when needed (when the remaining leaves start to look limp) and make sure the tree does not go into winter in a dry condition. On the other hand, don't water so much it's trying to grow in its own personal swamp.
Losing more than 1/3 of the mass of the tree is usually pretty tough on a tree, but many do survive it.
There are several good pruning manuals around, but you could also ask for help next fall from a local master gardener (free for the most part) or a consulting arborist (pay for it). Some city foresters also provide advice, as do certified nurserymen.
(Consulting arborists are professionals who specialize in evaluating trees for many purposes, but they don't provide the sort of tree service that the guys with the chain saws and chippers do. See:
Kay
Many thanks, Kay -- that's exactly the sort of advice I was seeking.
-- Ray
so water won't sit on the wood. Clean up any branch stubs that are splintered also. Then wait, and it's very likely to grow back. You'll need to do some careful shaping pruning most likely, but that will be next growing season.
If you're in a drought area, make sure you water when needed (when the remaining leaves start to look limp) and make sure the tree does not go into winter in a dry condition. On the other hand, don't water so much it's trying to grow in its own personal swamp.
Losing more than 1/3 of the mass of the tree is usually pretty tough on a tree, but many do survive it.
There are several good pruning manuals around, but you could also ask for help next fall from a local master gardener (free for the most part) or a consulting arborist (pay for it). Some city foresters also provide advice, as do certified nurserymen.
(Consulting arborists are professionals who specialize in evaluating trees for many purposes, but they don't provide the sort of tree service that the guys with the chain saws and chippers do. See:
Kay
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