Partial windthrow - can it be fixed?

11 years ago

While walking the property after one of our recent overnight wind storms, I noticed my P. strobus leaning at quite the abnormal angle. This tree was planted as a bare root seedling about 4-5 years ago. The past two years it has really started to put on good growth, so I am rathe p*** off that this has happened now. The following pictures show the tree at its new angle as well as the base of the trunk/root flare. The tree is easily rocked upright with little to no effort, but it just as easily falls back to its new 45 degree angle. Is there anything I can do to help it regain stable vertical growth? or is this a lost cause and it is better off being pulled in spring and tossed in the compost? Lastly, what can I do to prevent this in the future? My 7 foot austrian pine did the same thing last year. I have tied that one up to a stake in hopes of it becoming windfirm eventually. My clay based soils get easily waterlogged in late winter/early spring, which is what I assume to be the cause here. What if anything can I do to save this tree?
The tree:
{{gwi:648789}}
The root flare as it sits:
{{gwi:648791}}
The root flare when the tree is pushed back into upright position:
{{gwi:648794}}

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Comments (14)

Embothrium
11 years ago
Surely deformed by careless container culture - a very common problem. Dig it up and see what you've got, if it is too screwed up you will just have to try and find a replacement that is in better shape - you don't want to continue on with a specimen that might grow tall and then fall, the weight of the top again overcoming the mis-directed roots.
treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author
11 years ago
Hey bboy - maybe you didn't catch this form the original text I posted: this was a bare root seedling I planted. All roots were spread out in different directions with none circling before I backfilled the hole at planting time!
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gardener365
11 years ago
It's a loss cause.

Each time I've had this happen here with what sounds like exactly the same soil type, I dig up the tree (and compost it). I dealt with (bare-root) Hetz Wintergreen cuttings that never grew more than a few inches in root mass..... they were tiny when I planted them and there were only a few of 30+ that needed being replaced.

I'll bet to a degree even though you planted it bare-root there is still some sort of root deformity that occurred. I recall a vivid example of one of mine having a funky "J" shape with the "J" being the tree and then the curl below where the roots were being produced from. I know damn well I wouldn't have planted anything like that...same as you.

If no deformity..... chalk it up to root-rot. It's one of the two.

Dax
treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author
11 years ago
Good to know, thanks Dax. bboy - sorry if I sounded a little defensive, just wanted to make the point that I made darn sure the roots on this guy were directed in varying directions away from the trunk when planted.

I guess this one will be heading to the compost pile come spring. Pitty.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
why dont you want to learn something????

in your zone.. some time in the next 30 days.. bare root it.. snap some pix.. stick it back in the soil.. post the pix.. let us debate it..

and THEN.. go root prune the heck out of it.. and replant it ...

below is a pic of a 6 foot cherry ... you can prune that pines roots just the same.. and replant it.. and being a weed pine.. 99% success... with PROPER WATERING and MULCHING this summer ...

the goal is to do it.. 6 to 8 weeks before bud extension ... so the roots have some time to get pumping.. before the stress of bud extension ...

i simply dont understand why it has to be trashed ..????

and if you do NOT maintain PROPER water all summer.. and it dies.. by fall ..... well... fall is planting time ...

at least 'look' .. and at least try ... inquiring minds want to know ...

ken

ps: on rereading this.. why isnt your tree mulched.. part of your problem.. is winter sun has thawed the soil enough.. to accept excessive moisture.. PERHAPS.. a good mulch blanket.. would have tempered this winter issue ... who knows ... what mulch does in winter.. is keeps the soil cold.. during warm snaps ....

{{gwi:325678}}
alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
It seems like a real good stake job may have prevented these issues. The tree could have been loosened a number of times on a lesser scale during lesser wind events and finally went over on your last storm. I would replant the tree and put a strong stake job on it, along with a little added soil if i thought it warranted it. Then mulch.
AL
bengz6westmd
11 years ago
Had that happen before (small southwestern white pine for example). Pull it back straight, secure it w/several staked lines, and wait a couple yrs. The SW white pine is now fine.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
It seems like a real good stake job may have prevented these issues.

==>> no tree should need to be staked after 5 years in the ground ... dont you think ...

after digging as i said.. yes.. its a sail .. as in sailboat.. it will need to be staked for the rest of the year ...

gotta run.. did we ever ask what you soil type is??? ... probably... no time

ken
liopleurodon
11 years ago
I'm no expert at all, but I would give that tree another chance. Staked for some time as others suggested.
I've had some trees a lot bigger than yours which were also partially windthrown and now (6-7yrs later) they're fully stable and healthy.

On your photo the ground around that tree looks very swampy. I can imagine that it will make a young tree (smaller root system) more susceptible to wind damage.
treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author
11 years ago
As for the mulch - this guy originally had a nice 3-4" thick layer of wood chip mulch that has composted down over the past couple years. It was on the list of trees that need fresh mulch this summer. I suppose it could have used it last summer . . .

As stated in the original post, yes my soil gets "swampy" this time of year. My clay based soil doesn't allow for much drainage with snowmelt and rains on top of barely above freezing temperatures = soil turns to muck.

Ken, I don't think the uprooting and replanting is a good idea in my soil this time of year. If I do that this time of year, I end up with thick muck that turns into hardpan when it finally dries up in late May. Most of my planting is done in the summer and fall with judicious mulching and appropriate watering - no need to lecture me on those ones ; )

If many of you have had success staking partially wind-thrown trees like this, then I will stake it and give it a chance.
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
11 years ago
IMHO mulch rings make trees more likely to blow over.

1 the tree has less incentive to send roots out into the yard to compete with grass

2 this darned bermuda/zoysia stuff mats pretty heavily and may have enough strength to hold in a SMALL tree.

Just debating. Mulch still helps trees more than it hurts by far.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
Ken, I don't think the uprooting and replanting is a good idea in my soil this time of year. If I do that this time of year, I end up with thick muck that turns into hardpan when it finally dries up in late May.

==>> i still vote for experimenting.. and learning..

in my z5 MI.. the month of april is the time .... not right now ...

and so what if it gets hard.. just plant it.. and muck it in there.. so it wont need staking .... its an experiment .... JUST GO AT IT ..... besides ... you arent going to let it get dry this and next summer ... the worst that can happen is it dies.. which is what dax wants it to do anyway ....

anyway.. if this thing will drive you insane ... get rid of it ...

but if you are the 'learnin' type.. experiment ...

its your choice to ignore me....

ken
alabamatreehugger 8b SW Alabama
11 years ago
I've seen them get leaned over like that in hurricanes, then start growing straight again from the tip. It makes a crooked tree, but it survives nonetheless.
treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, we'll see how much time I end up with this spring. If I find time, I may just try your experiment, Ken. If not, it will get staked and I'll hope for the best.

treehugger - I am collecting tree species that I find interesting with the hopes of having one "show specimen" of each species in my collection. If I had enough property/room to plant multiples of each species, I would leave the tree as is and see how it does long term. Unfortunately, I don't! i.e. ideal growth form as well as survival are equally important to me for my collection .

Partial windthrow - can it be fixed?

Comments (14)

Embothrium

treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author

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gardener365

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liopleurodon

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

alabamatreehugger 8b SW Alabama

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Partial windthrow - can it be fixed?

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