Cjr live oak yamadori #2

[Cajunrider]

How do you know it's dead?

FWIW, I had a smaller live oak I brought up from Texas a while back. I overwintered it in the backyard for about five years. In that time, it lost every branch it grew the previous summer when it froze over the winter. It's roots were heavily mulched and weren't killed off. The plant sprouted new buds every spring.

I finally gave up on it because I couldn't get branching on it.

All that means the root mass (and probably significant portions of the top) on yours may still be alive. I wouldn't give up on it just yet.

Tested the bark all over the tree and found no live tissue. All branches dried up. I cut across some branches and found dried dried tissue underneath that look like my oak lumber in my wood shop.

 

[rockm]

Tested the bark all over the tree and found no live tissue. All branches dried up. I cut across some branches and found dried dried tissue underneath that look like my oak lumber in my wood shop.

Well shit...

 

[Cajunrider]

Well shit...

Yeah that's how I feel. The tree was so healthy last year. I didn't expect it to die that easily. The hard lesson for me is that bonsai don't have much energy reserves due to limited root and trunk mass. This means the tender period of budding must be carefully managed.

 

[rockm]

Yeah that's how I feel. The tree was so healthy last year. I didn't expect it to die that easily. The hard lesson for me is that bonsai don't have much energy reserves due to limited root and trunk mass. This means the tender period of budding must be carefully managed.

Yep. Late frosts and freezes are a big deal, since those happen at the same time trees are budding out. Late winter/early spring is a bitch. We had a forecast last night that temps were going to remain above 40 overnight, but I was cautious. At 11 pm the National Weather Service issued a frost advisory for my area. Brought everything into the basement for the night. This morning at 6 it was 40 F, but with frost.

A couple of years ago, I lost a great shohin sized Bald Cypress from Zach Smith to the same short freeze conditions that killed your oak. Had warm temps pushing the BC to begin budding out in late Feb., then in late March, temps dropped into the 20s for a few days. BC was under mulch, but the exposed top was killed. Thebuds weren't all that far along, only in the "knob" stage too. I thought it would be fine in its protected area...

That one hurt. Was working into a very nice tree.

 

[namnhi]

I am super sad over the death of this tree. After the hard freeze we hard came a month-long period of warm weather and the tree started to push out lots of bud. Then came 2 nights of frost with temperature around 32 deg F, which I didn't think would be an issue. The frost killed all the young buds and the tree never recovered.

Come on by the Unlimited Trees Inc (my house) and pick up another one. Nothing a couple nice Mayhaw can't replaced. Still regret not digging any Mayhaw last Sat.

 

[Cajunrider]

Come on by the Unlimited Trees Inc (my house) and pick up another one. Nothing a couple nice Mayhaw can't replaced. Still regret not digging any Mayhaw last Sat.

Next time don't wear short, t-shirt, and sneakers. No way to take you into the woods with that outfit. In all fairness, I should have warned you.
PS: That was why I went in front of you with my shovel and made a lot of noise. Didn't want you to run into a water moccasin in that outfit. Imagine me calling your wife: "Umm... I'm sorry but namnhi is in the hospital...."

 

[Maiden69]

I am super sad over the death of this tree. After the hard freeze we hard came a month-long period of warm weather and the tree started to push out lots of bud. Then came 2 nights of frost with temperature around 32 deg F, which I didn't think would be an issue. The frost killed all the young buds and the tree never recovered.

Men that sucks, that's two of us now this year with similar losses .,

 

[Potawatomi13]

So sorry. Any chance of budding from low down?