19Mateo83
Masterpiece
So there’s a story behind this and a lesson about being honest and asking for things. October last year I stopped by this massive sango kaku tree I pass on my daily drive home from work. I saw the home owner out working in the yard and I asked him if he minded if I could collect some seeds from it. To my surprise he said if I want the whole tree I can have it because he had plans to cut it down in the spring to redo his landscaping. Well here it is almost May and I had forgotten about. I had just passed the tree on my way home Friday and it was looking really pretty. Tonight at 6 o’clock I get a call and it’s the home owner. He informs me that they have pulled the tree out with a back hoe and loaded it on a trailer, wrapped the root ball in plastic and was ready to deliver it to me tonight! I was not expecting this nor had I ever thought that he would be willing out of the kindness of his heart drive it 1 hour to me. So off to digging a hole I went. After the hour trip he arrived and the hole was ready to receive this big ass tree and it’s four foot diameter root ball. We got it in the ground and I thanked the man and tried to give him money for gas, which he refused. He said it just felt right to save this tree and that he had a good feeling about me. The kindness that exists in this world still leaves me speechless. So long story short. It pays to ask, even if it’s just for seeds. I have never transplanted a tree this large. Anything else I should do to give it every fighting chance? I plan on reducing the canopy a bit tomorrow to lessen the demands on the roots. I have sealed any wounds to the trunk with wood glue. I also tried to use a tomato stake like a big chopstick to try to get rid of any air pockets the best I could. I watered it in thoroughly to try to settle more soil in. All my soil sifting leftovers were added to the mix. I know it’s not the ideal time of year for this but it is what it is at this point.
