Want to save 2 Weeping Willows With Heartwood Exposed

Discussion in 'Woody Plants' started by LKC, Aug 13, 2006.

  1. LKC

    LKC Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Redwood, NY USA
    Want to Save Young Willows with exposed heartwood

    Hello,
    This is my very first post and I sure hope I can get some expert advise!

    I want very much to save my two young weeping willows that are about 6 years old now. They are memorial trees for my family and friends, planted in rememberance of those gone.

    The trees are about 10 to 15 foot tall and approx. 8 inches in diameter now.

    This summer I discovered that on both trunks that they have split open and reveiled the heart wood. The edges of the bark are turning in on the sides to try and heal the splits but there is still at least one to two inches (wide) to 20 to 30 inches long sections of the heartwood exposed.

    We are located in Northern New York state and have very harsh winters. I do so want to salvage these trees if at all possible.....

    I called the local state extension office and they told me to just leave them alone.....they'll live or they'll die :o(

    Than a friend called and told me she saw something on HGTV that suggested using plaster to fill the hole before cold weather......

    I was wondering if I could insulate and wrap the trunks for the winter to help their chances of healing....and I also would like to know is this was caused by the sap freezing? Any help will be so much appreciated.

    Regards, Linda, eight miles from the Canadian boarder.
     
  2. Laurie

    Laurie Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

    Messages:
    428
    Likes Received:
    23
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Re: Want to Save Young Willows with exposed heartwood

    Linda, this thread is likely to be moved to the Woody Plants forum since this is the Conifers forum. I will defer to others on the question of helping the trees to heal, although filling the trunk with plaster sounds inappropriate. Perhaps the extension agent was really saying that trees are pretty good at healing on their own. I realize how important memorial trees are, so I wanted to comment by noting that willow trees have a reputation of being the easiest trees to root by cuttings. Having rooted cuttings on hand would provide you with progeny of these trees if, by chance, they do not make it through the winter. If they do, then the rooted cuttings could be gifts to other friends and relatives of those, who are remembered with these trees. Check out: http://www.slimwetwillows.co.uk/weeping_willow_-_planting_&_maintenance.htm.
     
  3. LKC

    LKC Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Redwood, NY USA
    Re: Want to Save Young Willows with exposed heartwood

    Laurie, Thank you for your ideas......very good idea to take the cuttings, hadn't thought that far ahead.

    Also I don't know how I ended up in Conifers! Thought I was in Woody Plants :o) I'm new at this so thank you for your patience and thank you again for your suggestions, they are very much appreciated. Should I go ahead and repost my queries to the other form?

    My neighbors maple tree has done the same splitting and exposing......so it isn't just a willow problem we have up here. Hope I can get some more information as to why this is happening to our willows and maples.

    Warmest Regards, Linda
     
  4. LKC

    LKC Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Redwood, NY USA
    Whoops, I posted this to the Conifers forum by mistake so I copied and pasted this to this forum and hopefully now I'm in the right spot to receive the best response :o)


    Hello,

    This is my very first post and I sure hope I can get some expert advise!

    I want very much to save my two young weeping willows that are about 6 years old now. They are memorial trees for my family and friends, planted in rememberance of those gone.

    The trees are about 10 to 15 foot tall and approx. 8 inches in diameter now.

    This summer I discovered that on both trunks that they have split open and reveiled the heart wood. The edges of the bark are turning in on the sides to try and heal the splits but there is still at least one to two inches (wide) to 20 to 30 inches long sections of the heartwood exposed.

    We are located in Northern New York state and have very harsh winters. I do so want to salvage these trees if at all possible.....

    I called the local state extension office and they told me to just leave them alone.....they'll live or they'll die :o(

    Than a friend called and told me she saw something on HGTV that suggested using plaster to fill the hole before cold weather......

    I was wondering if I could insulate and wrap the trunks for the winter to help their chances of healing....and I also would like to know is this was caused by the sap freezing? Any help will be so much appreciated.

    Regards, Linda, eight miles from the Canadian boarder.
     
  5. smivies

    smivies Active Member

    Messages:
    793
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kingston, Ontario, Canada
    Well, hardiness is not a problem for weeping willows...they grow really fast and very large well north of the border in Ontario as well. It is very unlikely that freezing sap caused the damage. Two other things to consider, willows are thirsty trees & it is unwise to fertilize in our climate between July 1 & October 15 as it will trigger fresh growth that may not harden off before winter.

    I wouldn't fill the hole with plaster, that will make it worse by trapping water and encouraging rot, that is if the plaster survives the first freeze. If you really want to do something, wrap 2 or 3 layers of burlap around the damaged trunk to keep the winter sun off it until the wounds heal in 1-2 years.

    Did anyone mention that willows are notoriously weak wooded & unless you spend big $$ on regular arbourist visits, are also short lived, usually because of large branches (& sometimes the whole thing) falling down. They're not going to be a 100+ year old trees, probably more like 50 years.

    Simon
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2006
  6. LKC

    LKC Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Redwood, NY USA
    Thank you Simon for your response. I will try wrapping them in burlap.

    Too bad they will only last 50 years.....but I'm 60 and they are 6 so at least I won't be around when they meet their end.

    I planted them in a low wet depression in the lawn across our drive near the horse pasture......other trees couldn't take all the moisture so they were my option for that area. We have two nice oaks growing further up the yard that were started from acorns the previous owners grandchildren started 15 years ago. There were 3 but that moist spot killed the other oak.

    Keeping trees in our climate is a real challenge....between the ice storms and wind damage it is really a stuggle for all the trees around. I've had to cut down so many elms and cherry trees in the last 15 years it makes my heart sick......so again the willow was a good option for that area. At least they grow fast so we could enjoy them after losing about a dozen elms, 6 cherry and two apple trees in the last 5 years. And a Japanese Yue the deer ate last winter! Tough country but we don't give up easily :o)

    Thank you for your advise it is very much appreciated.

    Warmest Regards, Linda
     
  7. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    10,611
    Likes Received:
    645
    Location:
    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    (merged threads)
     

Share This Page