I have just repotted this tree and I’m wiring it now just to space out some branches and i slightly moved one and it just tore in half. I’m not sure if this is normal behavior and i noticed the inside is just completely white and lacks green, i did a cut in the base of the tree and theres not much green either. Is it alive or dead? This is a juniper that I purchased it’s around six years old
Is my tree dead or alive
- Thread starter goooooze
- Start date
SeanS
Omono
- Messages
- 1,670
- Reaction score
- 5,643
- USDA Zone
- 9b
Firstly, and I (and the rest of the Bnut members) usually try to sugar coat wiring critique, but your wiring isn’t great and that’s probably why that branch tore from the trunk.
Secondly, if the foliage is green (and it seems to be from one of the photos) then it is generally alive. The inside of your tree looks perfectly normal for a juniper. You should avoid making such big cuts into the trunk to inspect the aliveness, generally a gently scratch test with a finger nail or a small blade is enough to reveal some green tissue under the bark. You’ve cut past the green and into the heartwood of the tree, which is usually white inside a juniper.
Secondly, if the foliage is green (and it seems to be from one of the photos) then it is generally alive. The inside of your tree looks perfectly normal for a juniper. You should avoid making such big cuts into the trunk to inspect the aliveness, generally a gently scratch test with a finger nail or a small blade is enough to reveal some green tissue under the bark. You’ve cut past the green and into the heartwood of the tree, which is usually white inside a juniper.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
IMHO, any tree is alive until it is really dead. If it has green foliage that's almost certain it's alive.
The cambium layer which is where you may see a faint green line below the bark but it can be very thin and difficult to see. Cambium is less active during winter dormancy so may be even harder to see at some times of the year.
I can't tell from that photo but I find juniper bark is often thicker than I anticipated. I suspect you have not actually gone right through the bark to reach the cambium with that cut. That does not mean go out and cut further. Let it alone and wait for new growth in Spring - assuming you are in Northern hemisphere? No location given which often makes it more difficult to give meaningful advice.
Part broken branches will usually survive and heal up. Don't try to 'fix' it or bend it back into place. That usually just ends up breaking the remaining lifeline.
You have not shown the whole tree so I can't comment of whether the branch in question is actually needed. Most beginners start off trying to keep way too many branches so chances are it can be removed completely and still leave a good tree.
The cambium layer which is where you may see a faint green line below the bark but it can be very thin and difficult to see. Cambium is less active during winter dormancy so may be even harder to see at some times of the year.
Cutting through the bark to check if a tree is alive often gives very little info and can cause a lot more harm as infections can enter through such cuts.
I can't tell from that photo but I find juniper bark is often thicker than I anticipated. I suspect you have not actually gone right through the bark to reach the cambium with that cut. That does not mean go out and cut further. Let it alone and wait for new growth in Spring - assuming you are in Northern hemisphere? No location given which often makes it more difficult to give meaningful advice.
This is not uncommon. As already mentioned, poor wiring and/or heavy handed bending are the usual culprits. With experience, we usually learn how to avoid this and manage to reduce the problem to occasional breaks.
Part broken branches will usually survive and heal up. Don't try to 'fix' it or bend it back into place. That usually just ends up breaking the remaining lifeline.
You have not shown the whole tree so I can't comment of whether the branch in question is actually needed. Most beginners start off trying to keep way too many branches so chances are it can be removed completely and still leave a good tree.
souvik1811
Sapling
I think it looks fine, because normally the inside is all wood. It would only be a thin layer under the bark that would contain the green. If you split a branch right through, you will only see the wood for the most part. If you just remove a little bit of the bark (in my experience with junipers, 1 mm is plenty), you should see green.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I half-snap branches on my Bougainvillea frequently. I bend it back to close the break and seal with Thick CA glue and a spritz of accelerator. Works every time.
Similar threads
