Unbelievably stupid move!

[0soyoung]

Anybody know how long roots can 'hold their breath'?
I would bet it is days, not minutes, especially in a bucket of 'fresh' (oxygenated) tap water.

Inside the tree, oxygen gets around by diffusion through the water in tissues. Oxygen gets into roots by diffusion through the film of water on the root surfaces. However, I don't have any idea what minimum required oxygenation level on the root surfaces to avoid anoxia. Anybody?

 

[milehigh_7]

Has anyone ever done something as dumb as I just did???
I have been using the immersion watering technique lately....
Decided that the crape myrtle was in need of a good soaking....
.......
But it got more than a good soaking.....
I accidentally left it in the water overnight ! (my attention was diverted with a crying baby, then I simply forgot till morning....)
I think it'll be alright....I hope it be alright...
Can't be worse than a few days of steady rain, right?
I about slapped myself this morning when I realized.

Quick answer, yes stupid is my M. O. Yes your Crepe will be fine. I have seen them growing just fine along the canal in San Antonio so I think they are good with that from time to time at least.

 

[milehigh_7]

Anybody know how long roots can 'hold their breath'?
I would bet it is days, not minutes, especially in a bucket of 'fresh' (oxygenated) tap water.

Inside the tree, oxygen gets around by diffusion through the water in tissues. Oxygen gets into roots by diffusion through the film of water on the root surfaces. However, I don't have any idea what minimum required oxygenation level on the root surfaces to avoid anoxia. Anybody?

Sounds like something you would look into... ;-)

 

[crust]

I once had a really ugly 3-foot deep pond in my bonsai compound. I had a few trees around its edge and somehow a white cedar mysteriously ended up falling in the pond, sunk to the bottom and sat there upright fully submerged and undiscovered for a couple days--maybe even 3 days. I pulled it out and it looked fresh as a daisy--but then immediately died.

 

[just.wing.it]

my bonsai compound

Haha, I like the sound of that.

 

[Random User]

"Unbelievably stupid move!"

Oh hell, at least you didn't cradle the tree and soak the baby overnight.

... see you weren't THAT stupid!... sheesh

 

[crust]

Haha, I like the sound of that.

Well it pretty much is a compound, definitely not a froo-froo garden. pretty ugly.

 

[Vin]

I once had a really ugly 3-foot deep pond in my bonsai compound. I had a few trees around its edge and somehow a white cedar mysteriously ended up falling in the pond, sunk to the bottom and sat there upright fully submerged and undiscovered for a couple days--maybe even 3 days. I pulled it out and it looked fresh as a daisy--but then immediately died.

Boy, way to kick the OP right in the Smoke Sack.

 

[Eric Group]

Tree should be fine but Immersion watering is not ideal for many reasons... Spreads diseases, doesn't flush the stagnant air out of the soil as efficiently as a good full watering does, more time consuming to prep and do, wastes water.... I would just recommend that you stop doing it all together.

 

[crust]

Boy, way to kick the OP right in the Smoke Sack.

Well, it was fully submerged, not just up to the pot, or lower trunk, but completely sunk over its top.

 

[Vin]

Well, it was fully submerged, not just up to the pot, or lower trunk, but completely sunk over its top.

I have seen trees in nature submerged in flood waters and lose all their foliage as if they died. Sometimes they do come back. Of course, I realize you checked yours before calling it but I thought it was worth mentioning for others.

 

[M. Frary]

I put them in my aerated live wells of my boat.

 

[just.wing.it]

I put them in my aerated live wells of my boat.

I'm not sure I know what that means....

 

[M. Frary]

I'm not sure I know what that means....

My boat has little oxygenators in the 60 gallon tanks to keep fish alive to get to weigh-in.
They would be perfect for doing a dunk watering.
Which I never do.

 

[just.wing.it]

My boat has little oxygenators in the 60 gallon tanks to keep fish alive to get to weigh-in.
They would be perfect for doing a dunk watering.
Which I never do.

Ahhh, ten4

 

[Don Blackmond]

A 24 hour soak shouldn't kill a healthy tree. My guess is that if it dies it was not solely due to the soak.