Storm Damage Question

15 years ago

Irene caused our 18 foot Canadian hemlock to lean. The roots have not pulled out of the ground and exposed but I can see where the soil and needele litter in the bed it is planted in has raised up some. It does not move when I try to shake teh tree nor does the groudn give if I jump up and down on it. It is part of a screen with other hemlocks between out house and neighbors so would had to lose it. Is there anything I should do to save or stabilize it?

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Comments (3)

pineresin
15 years ago
Quite likely there are torn or broken roots underground that you can't see. It might die, it might recover, depending on how much is broken. Even if it recovers for now, there's a risk of getting decay fungi into the roots, which would kill it or make it dangerous later on.

You can try leaving it if you wish, but I wouldn't recommend doing so if it is in a position where it could damage anyone or anything if it did fall.

Resin
jimla
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Pineresin. By itself it does not look like much of a lean, maybe 10-15 degrees from vertical but in a windrow of hemlocks it is noticeable. Some roots likely severed as the ground is mounded on the opposite side of the tree from the lean but not broken open with exposed roots. No danger if it does fall. Should it be staked back? Is it worth trying to pull back with a comealong and then staked?
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
how big a stake do you figure you will need to hold up an 18 foot tree ... a 6 by 6 ... planted 4 feet in the ground ..???

any chance you could favor us with a picture ...

i suspect.. it will probably be further damaged in the next snow or ice storm ..

i think you need to start thinking about how to replace it ... rather than thinking it will survive in the long run ...

often.. if you remove one plant in a row ... opening up the sun and rain.. etc.. the ones on either side become more vigorous... and can fill in the gap .. given enough years [5 years???].. or a small one inserted ...

in the alternative.. look at the space between the row.. and your favorite sitting space.. and think about how you might plant something much closer.. to fill the void to your sight line.. while the row recovers... does that make any sense???

in other words ... from the patio ... a 4 foot shrub.. will have the same blocking quality ... as an 18 foot tree.. 55 feet away ... if you have an elevated deck.. you may be bolted [rather than what you drive in drywall.. lol]

pic please ...

personally .. i am not here to tell you everything is going to be peachy ... and i am not one to suggest that an 18 foot tree with SIGNIFICANT root damage.. is going to perform to expectations .... you can hope.. and you can pray.. but odds are... its going to fail .. may as well start on something else.. so that it can have some size.. by the time this fails ..

good luck

ken