Sandbagging Transplanted Tree
Hi folks,
About one week before Hurricane Sandy arrived in NJ, I transplanted a 10' tall Crepe Myrtle to a different location on my property. I originally planted it from a container 5 years ago. But I quickly learned that I underestimated how large the Natchez variety can grow. It soon began to bother my neighbor because the tree was encroaching over the property line. Rather than approach me and ask me if I could prune it, she had her landscaper/boyfriend shear it exactly where the property line would fall. I swear, the poor tree looked like a bolt of lighting hit it! I was furious but I restrained myself from confronting her. Instead I thought about how I could turn this negative into a positive. Although the tree was in the ground for 5 years, I still felt I had a chance at successfully transplanting it to another location in my yard where it would have plenty of space to grow. Plus, the timing was ideal because the tree just shed its leaves, getting ready to enter dormancy. So my friend and I managed to dig it out and transfer it to the new location. Once we began backfilling it with native soil, we noticed that it was still very unstable because the tree was so top-heavy. So we decided to stake it securely into the ground. We made sure to give the ropes a little slack so that the tree could move a little with the wind. But like I said - this was 1 week before Sandy. Once the storm arrived on Monday, the tree did its best, but eventually toppled over Monday night. The following morning my buddy and I went out there and re-planted it and re-staked it. I took it one step further and placed 2 sandbags on top of the rootball. If I had just done that initially, the tree would have never toppled over during the storm. Anyhow, I'm posting this message and photo to get your opinion on whether keeping these 2 sandbags on the rootball throughout the winter is a good idea. Do you know of any potential problems this could cause to the tree while it establishes itself in its new location? Thanks everyone!
Comments (8)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
botann
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Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
bobby1973Original Author
bobby1973Original Author
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5