In Memoriam: For Those Trees We Lost In 2014

[Vin]

Dorothy (cascade) has a great thread called “The Tree Thread” that got me thinking about our trees that didn’t make in 2014. Along those lines, if you comment in this thread you must post a photo of your dead tree (when it was alive or dead). Also, telling us why it didn’t make may help others on their journey.

This was Brutus the Boxwood. I pruned it to hard and failed to remove any roots. It quickly responded by dying. If you remove a lot of foliage on boxwood you should also remove an equal amount of roots. Lesson learned.

 

[Vin]

This is a Loropetalum, often refered to as fringe flower. I rescued it from work as it was being ripped out of the ground in October 2013. Initially there was some growth at the base but it was to late in the year and the tree just couldn't handle it. It died in February of 2014.

 

[Eric Group]

Pouring a little something out for the homies?

Man... Probably the best tree I ever owned died... I guess it was 2012 or 2013. Big ole Ginko! Sad as Hell... Still broken up about it! I babied the damn thing straight to death! Didn't think I knew how to care for it, kept it under the cover of the porch to protect it.. In the end I thought it was getting good water when it rained over the winter, thought it got enough to keep it happy, but I think only half the pot was getting water maybe, and I didn't give it full watering a often over the winter, thinking it didn't need it because it was dormant... Wrong. Damn thing never woke up that year! Since then, I decided eff it... My trees don't get babied. They all get comparable care. Left outside all winter long, brought into the garage during a few of the coldest nights, but not for long... Tough it out or die trying! That is their choice now... And for he three or so years since, damn near every one has made it.


2014:
I ran into a rough spot last year- two little satsuki a friend gave me in late writer died by the end of the summer and I just don't know why! He mentioned some of his Azaleas got a "blight" and died or struggled to live, but they seemed perfectly healthy, bloomed and then slowly faded... My first thought was root problems. I repotted one, didn't help it. Left the other in the same pot, didn't help it. Hail storm knocked half the tree off the smallest one- damn sure didn't help! Added a humidity tray thinking it was drying out (very small pot), didn't help it... Tried drying it out a bit...maybe it had gotten TOO wet? DIDN'T freaking help... Nothing I tried helped either tree, both are toast now. Next beer I crack Ima poor a little out for those guys!

I straight up murdered one of my favorite Tridents! March 12, on the same day I got married, sitting home before my wife got off work(we have "been married" in our own eyes for years.. Just made it legal at the courthouse that day) I decided It was time to chop it low because there wasn't enough movement in the trunk! Great idea! Except, the tree did not respond. At all. I left a couple inches, thinking surely there were dormant buds ready to Spring to life... Umm no. Tried to make a cutting from the top! Another great idea, and it leafed out... Kept leaves all growing season! Seems it should have produced abundant roots and been a great little Shohin in the making!... Except, when I checked the pot in the Fall, there were no roots! Lots of callous, zero roots. It got knocked out of it's pot twice over the winter by VC, and ai have very little hope that it will make any sustainable roots for me this season either. There is a glimmer of hope I guess as the buds seem to be swelling and it still LOOKS alive, but I know there aren't any roots there.

Those were my lost souls for the past year worth mentioning... I am constantly propagating, so a dead seedling/cutting/ layer that didn't take... Doesn't even phase me any longer! Only the true trees dying makes an impact at this point! Here is a pic in full bloom of my favorite little azalea that passed..

 

[sorce]

I can play this game!

This was my favorite elm. The best Nebari I had. Making it the first actual bonsai I may have produced.

I made a cut to get one last good root to pop, it did, though a little out of place, and not from the cut.

Pretty sure the Sphagnum I left in it over winter last year did it in. Everthing with Sphagnum in it died, like 3-5. Ulmus y Prunus.

Without the -20 's like we had last year, I think the year will be better, though I may have killed a patch of grass right now with half a 40oz of Old English!

Sorce

 

[Mike123]

Vin I did the same, pruned to hard and no root work. First collected tree for me. Lesson learned.

 

[lordy]

This one hit the wall and woke up dead a few years ago. No idea what happened. Completely happy the summer/fall before.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It's been a few years since I killed one, but this one still hurts like it was yesterday...
I bought it out of Brussel's greenhouse in December 2011, and it was either a snap freeze where the roots were frozen and needles were in direct sun...or root rot from horrible soil.

 

[Vin]

A few stingers in the bunch so far but BVF that one must of really hurt! I collected 4 pretty good size Junipers the final day of the Fall Challenge. This one is puny compared to the other 3 and it's the only one that didn't make it. Lost the last of the foliage last month so I removed it to keep the trunk for carving practice. Not losing any sleep over this one.

 

[quietobserver]

It's been a few years since I killed one, but this one still hurts like it was yesterday...
I bought it out of Brussel's greenhouse in December 2011, and it was either a snap freeze where the roots were frozen and needles were in direct sun...or root rot from horrible soil.

Brussel's has some great material and imports. Since I live within a few miles of the place I've often thought of starting a "transitioning out of Brussel's soil" thread. Looks as though they've made improvements last couple of years, but its inconsistent on a good day. Some aggregate is porous and floats, some sinks like the titanic, overall its a crap shoot but let's face it everybody knows it.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yep, I love Brussel's, and used to go there almost every week to shake off the day when I worked up in Memphis. He and his crew are good people, and it's always a treat to visit and walk through the rows of trees. But, the soil is clearly made for automatic watering, and quick turnover.

 

[fourteener]

This weeping Tamarack was a favorite of mine. It tried to bud out this last spring 2014 and then just tanked on me. I'm gonna guess it had something to do with the excessive cold from last winter. It had nice plates of bark forming and I was bummed for sure.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I repotted as I brought it in this winter.. I should have known better. It had been flowering non stop for the last year which could have meant it was stressed, but I think it was mainly bad timing. At least I have a nice picture. It reminds me of Leonard Nimoy's last tweet:"A life is like a garden; Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory."

 

[drew33998]

Here you go.

 

[j evans]

Here are a couple that kicked the bucket last year. They were rescues from my friend that had passed and they sat in the back yard for a year without any watering other than what fell from the sky. When I got permission I took them home and tended to them but they finally just gave up. I think that they were just too far gone when I got them. First a decently thick maple and then what I think was an apple.

 

[Cypress187]

This is a Loropetalum, often refered to as fringe flower. I rescued it from work as it was being ripped out of the ground in October 2013. Initially there was some growth at the base but it was to late in the year and the tree just couldn't handle it. It died in February of 2014.
View attachment 68325

I would have wanted to see this one .

 

[Cadillactaste]

Listening to the weatherman...and not being home to protect this rosemary from a drastic weather drop.