Health Care Run Amok

[Gene Deci]

Like many B-Nutters I’m sure, I have a tree hospital – an area where I put my newly collected trees or trees that have had an emergency repot or trees which for some unknown reason aren’t doing well. It is under a big old maple tree on the edge of my property. There they get dappled sun most of the day, no strong winds and relatively high humidity. It also has weeds. I haven’t had much use for it in a while and being out of the way I have neglected it.


The other day I noticed some oak leaves peeking out above the weeds so I went to investigate. This is what I found among litter that had accumulated there. I have no recollection where it came from or how long it has been there. I do know it has been there at least six years. I suspect I left it for dead well before that.


So what is your story of a tree you thought was dead but it wasn’t?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I wish I had a good story - most of the trees that I kill remain dead

However I do have a big Japanese maple that I picked up cheap this year on Memorial Day. When I went to check the roots I found that it didn't have any I potted it up in an Anderson flat and it has been protected ever since. If this one makes it through it will belong to this thread Good news it isn't dead yet.

 

[Starfox]

One of my entries in the Mame contest thread is a reasonable example, I dosed a whole bunch of my trees with some stuff and the only survivors were a couple of Bougies but only after a long winter and I had just about given up on them.
Bougainvillea can be like that though, it's not the first nor I expect the last one that will look dead and come back.

Callistemon too, they will dry out, crisp up and bounce back. That is until you dose them off.

 

[VAFisher]

Cool. How was it getting water? Had the roots escaped the pot?

Maybe I should go check the woods behind my benches...

 

[Gene Deci]

I had heeled the container in with compost and you are right, roots had escaped the pot big time. I couldn't pull it free with out cutting them. The leaves wilted for a few days but I watered it well and it came back strong. This tree just refuses to die.

 

[milehigh_7]

That's a cool little stump! Really that's what bonsai is, we look for the overcomers. We want the trees that life has handed lemons and they make lemonade. Looks like you found one!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Back in 2013 we had a hard arctic spell for our area. This landscape Tamarix took a beating. Had a lot of die back. My husband wanted it yanked from the yard. It wasn't the time to do so...so I talked him into allowing it another season. Then, dug it up in the early spring the following year. Just let it recover leaving it along. This spring is the first I stuck it into a training pot. And tossed any wire on it. But it's recovering enough for bonsai. Most likely never for landscape...but for bonsai...it will do. It only has one live vein running to the green foliage everything else is dead. But the vein is swelling...and I think may end up being a cool feature at some point.


Back in its hay day...blooming. The tall stuff with pink on the right.

 

[miker]

Swamp white oak?

 

[GrimLore]

It only has one live vein running to the green foliage everything else is dead. But the vein is swelling...and I think may end up being a cool feature at some point.

That frog poop keeps it going! Kidding aside that could be nice in not to many years.

Grimmy

 

[Cadillactaste]

That frog poop keeps it going! Kidding aside that could be nice in not to many years.

Grimmy

Oh that was funny!

Thanks...it seems to be most of the neighbors favorite surprisingly...even at the Frankenstein stage of being a very raw piece. I think it's the weeping nature they like.

 

[Waltron]

Swamp white oak?

nah, just regular white oak.

 

[Gene Deci]

Swamp white oak?

From looking at the leaves I think it is more likely Quercus alba. That and burr oak are both more common around here than swamp oak but since I don't remember where it came from I don't really know.

 

[PiñonJ]

Zombie oak - don't turn your back on it!

 

[Waltron]

gringo oak, haha, now I see you are from northern Michigan, and there actually is a northern michigan white oak which is slightly different than what I refer to as a normal white oak, basically the northern white oak has smaller acorns. hard to say, this one's leaves, young and old bark, look exactly like the ones I have in my yard.