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Dog Chewed Cypress Tree

Mike - NW Arkansas - 7a/6b

7 years ago

I have a small Cypress tree about 5ft tall. My dog decided to chew the bark off the tree. He took a circle about 8 inches high all the way around maybe 18 inches off the ground. Needless to say, the top is dead.

The good news. This spring, sprigs started growing out of the trunk below the chewed off area. They are covering the trunk and turning into small branches.

The question is...what do I do with the tree? Should I leave the top and see if it fixes itself? I really dont think it will, but I am willing to wait and see. Should I just saw the tree off at the bottom of the chewed area and let it grow into a Cypress shrub?

If I do, how best to protect the stump while the tree heals?

Naturally, one of the things I have done, is protect it from my dog.

I would appreciate feedback, thoughts and ideas.

Featured Answer

Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta

7 years ago

Yeah..just cut the chewed section off...it will grow a new top eventually.

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Comments (9)

kentrees12
7 years ago
Assuming the part above the chewed area hasn't produced any growth and is dead, I'd let nature take her course this growing season. You can remove the dead top now or later. Next year see if any of the new growth looks like it wants to leader. Select the best, prune back any competing leaders, but leave as many branches as possible, even if branched to the ground. These can be pruned at a later date, right now you want as much green as possible. I've had young cypress lose their tops from marauding varmints. Young bald cypress easily grow new leaders, you've probably lost a couple years of growth, but in the scheme of things it won't make a difference to a tree with the potential to live a millennium or two.
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my quandary was.. and always will be... how do you know which ones to cut off ... what if you cut off the only ones that will end up viable ... and the rest die ... and on that basis ... i was usually paralyzed into taking no action ... until i was convinced the plant was fully re established ... and it really didnt matter ... i fully expect some serious problems with die back ... and browning .. transplant damage ..... etc ... and you should too ... dont go all ballistic with what you see in spring .. or summer next year ... it will just be the evolution of what you did to it ... and it wasnt done by peeps with experience ... complete proper... deep watering.. and near drying in between such ..... will be the key ... see link above ... for two or three years ... if you save and regrow the roots ... the plant will survive ... and to be sure.. there will be odds... that it will end up looking like something completely different.. so be it ... if you have questions and concerns next year.. we will need pix ... ken
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
Since "cypress" is a term that's applied to a wide assortment of conifers, I'd want to know the correct genus of the tree in question before responding. Some might regrow into a tree form; others not. A photo of the plant in question would help greatly.
Mike - NW Arkansas - 7a/6b
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the information. I don't know the genus of the tree. It was sitting in a pot in the fish pond when we bought the house a year ago and I planted it. It has the appearance of a cypress, so I call it a cypress.

I will see if I can find a way to upload a photo for viewing.
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
7 years ago
This might solve the question. Is it the type of cypress which looses its leaves in the winter?
Mike - NW Arkansas - 7a/6b
Original Author
7 years ago
Here are a couple of photos of the tree.
Mike - NW Arkansas - 7a/6b
Original Author
7 years ago
Toronado3800, it does lose its leaves in the winter.
kentrees12
7 years ago
Taxodium distichum, baldcypress. My above comments stand.
Mike - NW Arkansas - 7a/6b thanked kentrees12
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
you can selectively start reducing the number of new leaders ...

but you need enough of them .. to store energy thru converting sunshine ...

so i would take a couple of the shorter ones going upward now ...

perhaps a couple more in fall ... etc ...

think in tree time with this... if it takes you 3 years to get back to one vertical.. so be it ...

keep in mind... it has a relatively large root mass .. since there was no insult to that part ...

i bought on of these at biglot.. lol .. and 8 foot stick in a one gal pot of sand.. lol ... couldn't kill the thing ...

get rid of the dead part.. without knocking off the selected new leader ... so you might want to wait a bit.. like a year or two.. to let the new growth harden off ...

ken

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