redbud we thought was dead - Ask Extension
--but it now has some growth in bottom half of ~7 foot tall stick, both on the "trunk" and includes two signif sprouts from ground--do they ...
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redbud we thought was dead #875041
Asked June 27, 2024, 8:15 PM EDT
--but it now has some growth in bottom half of ~7 foot tall stick, both on the "trunk" and includes two signif sprouts from ground--do they act as losers of water in this temp or do they help the recovering? yikes, my camera phone photo Joy moved to desktop is too big? I'm a dummy on this, but she cropped? it
annoyed my taking time had to start all over, but copied the input before I gave up trying to get past the robot
Queen Anne's County Maryland
Expert Response
These growths, called suckers, are a typical response of trees and shrubs when the upper growth is dead, dying, or significantly stressed. (In this case, the old trunk and branches are dead above the point of the highest sucker emerging.) Yes, they lose water like any leaves do, but water vapor leaving the leaf is part of the photosynthesis process, and it is not depriving the old canopy of recovery because recovery for that wood is not possible. What caused the dieback is hard to determine at this point, but physical injury or root stress or dieback are typical factors.
The suckers can develop a new tree if allowed to grow and mature, though you can edit-out some of them via pruning if they get too crowded or branched too densely (or at bad angles) over time as they mature. If you don't want to wait for this delay in the development of the tree, you should replace the redbud with a healthier specimen.
If you keep this tree, or even when planting another, don't let lawn grow up to its base. Not only is the turf competing with the young tree's roots for moisture and nutrients, but it's proximity means that an accidental bark strike by a mower or string trimmer (or contact with certain herbicides used on a lawn) could cause it serious and untreatable or fatal damage. Instead, clear away the turf and put mulch down to protect the soil instead, leaving the base of the trunk free of mulch so it gets good air circulation. If you can't remove enough turf for some reason, then at least protect the trunk with a shield of some type to keep a mower or string trimmer from touching the trunk, where the shield material (wire mesh, plastic cylinder, etc.) allows room for trunk expansion as it ages. If planting a new tree, also make sure the root flare is at the right position, which is visible at the soil surface and not buried, as nursery-grown trees often are.
Both this and any new tree should be monitored for watering needs regularly, especially since this year so far most of Maryland has entered drought or near-drought status. (There was a drought in many areas last year too.)
If you keep this redbud, prune off all dead wood so it doesn't develop wood decay. How long it will take the new replacement growth to look more tree-like in shape is hard to predict, but it might be a few years at least.
Miri
The suckers can develop a new tree if allowed to grow and mature, though you can edit-out some of them via pruning if they get too crowded or branched too densely (or at bad angles) over time as they mature. If you don't want to wait for this delay in the development of the tree, you should replace the redbud with a healthier specimen.
If you keep this tree, or even when planting another, don't let lawn grow up to its base. Not only is the turf competing with the young tree's roots for moisture and nutrients, but it's proximity means that an accidental bark strike by a mower or string trimmer (or contact with certain herbicides used on a lawn) could cause it serious and untreatable or fatal damage. Instead, clear away the turf and put mulch down to protect the soil instead, leaving the base of the trunk free of mulch so it gets good air circulation. If you can't remove enough turf for some reason, then at least protect the trunk with a shield of some type to keep a mower or string trimmer from touching the trunk, where the shield material (wire mesh, plastic cylinder, etc.) allows room for trunk expansion as it ages. If planting a new tree, also make sure the root flare is at the right position, which is visible at the soil surface and not buried, as nursery-grown trees often are.
Both this and any new tree should be monitored for watering needs regularly, especially since this year so far most of Maryland has entered drought or near-drought status. (There was a drought in many areas last year too.)
If you keep this redbud, prune off all dead wood so it doesn't develop wood decay. How long it will take the new replacement growth to look more tree-like in shape is hard to predict, but it might be a few years at least.
Miri
