Please take a peek at the three images. Can you tell me why the leaves are so clustered at the end of each branch so tightly? They seem slightly deformed, but then, I've never seen a young Parrotia before, only older established trees.
Is this normal?
(It doesn't look normal.)
Thank you,
Annie
This message was edited Aug 11, 2006 7:33 AM
Image two.
Image 3
Would the plant have had any exposure to herbicides? Looks like Roundup damage.
Scott
Not a chance. I have an organic garden and it's too far away from my neighbor's house for them to have done anything. I built that bed myself (in 2004) using only organic humus, soil, and fertilizers. Everything else grows well in that area.
I got this tree as a very small cutting. It had pretty much no root system at all and I nursed it for an entire year.
It's *solid* in the ground now. I can't figure out what's going on...
This message was edited Aug 11, 2006 8:38 AM
This message was edited Aug 11, 2006 8:40 AM
No, it doesn't look normal, and yes, it does look like herbicide damage. Don't know what else to suggest. Be sure it's not something like aphids or root damage, then wait until next year and see if it returns to normal.
Guy S.
I've never seen aphids on it, but root damage may be possibility. (?)
It was moved from pot into ground (April '05), back to pot (June '05) due to stress, and then finally made it into its permanent position as you see here (Sept '05)
It's leaves did this last year too. I thought it would come out of it this year, but nope.
It has grown, albiet only a little bit.
Thank you Scott and Guy for taking the time to look.
Would either of you recommend my cutting any part of this off and taking it to the extension service?
Yes, if it isn't too much trouble, I think I'd do that just to see what they say. Certainly is a curious problem.
Scott
Don't know what it is, but I'm pretty sure it isn't a Parrotia - methinks you've been sold a mislabelled plant.
Resin
It's a Parrotia. I've even seen the red edging on the leaves that is specific to the 'Select' cultivar.
See here: http://davesgarden.com/journal/edit/showimage.php?eid=77578
http://www.tuja.hu/perzsa_varazsfa.html
http://www.botanypictures.com/plantimages/ (give this a little bit to load, even with DSL) then 'Find' persica
http://web.reed.edu/trees/TreePages/photos/PAPE01.jpg
http://www.floridata.com/ref/P/images/parr_pe2.jpg
http://rostliny.nikde.cz/view.php?cisloclanku=2005112303
Mine is only just ill apparently...
Edited for a wiseguy link...
This message was edited Aug 11, 2006 4:38 PM
This message was edited Aug 11, 2006 4:43 PM
I've been thinking about this a lot since the last posts.
I think this is my own fault and that Guy is correct about root damage.
If you look at the pics above, you can see that the tree 'leans' a bit. It was much more pronounced before. And so, last Spring, I pulled it up to try and straighten it out a bit. I believe I must have caused root damage at that time.
Recall, this was a cutting that had practically no root system and that I nursed it for a year.
Anyway, thank you for all your thoughts and assistance. It's very appreciated.
Also learned a valuable lesson about being more gentle with the roots of trees.
Annie
edited for a really weird misspelling
This message was edited Aug 13, 2006 3:43 PM
I hope it pulls through for you, but with a symmetrical root system that can support it as it grows large.
Guy S.
Thanks Guy.
Is there something I can do to encourage healthy root growth?
Hope!
Or else dig it up bare root this fall and try to spread the roots out uniformly around the stem. The big problem with some cutting-grown trees is that they sometimes have roots on only one side, or a single big root that circles itself into knots.
Guy S.
The tree has been churning out new, healthy growth for the past two weeks solid. I added no amendments... added and did nothing...
Methinks I have got very lucky indeed.
:oD
I came into this a little late but I think you are correct. It's stressed but hanging in there. The soil looks a dry/bark chippy - add some organic leafmold to the surface. Treat the tree as if it was just planted. I build a small moat around the tree to the size of the pot it came from. I use a starter fertilizer: http://www1.epinions.com/Schultz_Starter_Plus_Root_Stimulator_Fertilizers, not this one but simular. The added 1/2" of fine leafmold, rootstarter fertilizer and moat will keep the rootzone moist, nutrient-rich to promote rootgrowth before winter. I'd also recommend using a bamboo pole to keep it upright so it doesn't sway in the wind and doesn't rely on the roots as much.
I forgot to mention, if you are organic, make a Salix (Willow) tea for root promotion. There are several recipies on the web.
Excellent advice, thank you.
You know, I thought I was making the little tree tougher by not using a pole. Just goes to shows you how ignorant people can be in the correct methods for growing trees and plants.
You see, I did the same with my Kay Parris M. grandiflora and that baby is straight as an arrow and tough too. Then again... it was larger than the Parrotia when planted (although only by about a foot and a half).
Funny you mentioned a moat. I did something similar when I first planted this little one as it had been stressed on and off from the moment I purchased it. (I'm not suggesting it's the seller's fault, but rather my own inexperience I think.) Anyway, at that time, I did add leaf mulch and was planning on purchasing more this weekend, but in the meantime, I added humus all around similar to the "moat" you describe above.
I've not made a willow tea before but will look it up on the Net, thank you for that!
I am particularly partial to this young tree and will do just about anything not to lose it.
I'd not even seen a Parrotia until a trip a couple years ago to an arboretum ...where I feel in love.
Again, thank you so much for your kind advice. I will be out grabbing leaf mulch tomorrow.
Here's one article for the tea from Mother Earth News website:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature_and_Environment/1981_July_August/The_Seasons_of_the_Garden
Annie...
OFELIX SALIX
The Avant Gardener, that gold mine of horticultural information (it's available, at a cost of $15 for a year of twice-monthly issues, from Horticultural Data Processors, Dept. TMEN, Box 489, New York, New York 10028 . . . and well worth the price), recently reported on the discovery of a potent root-promoting compound that comes from willow tree (genus Salix) cuttings. The substance, which is not a rooting hormone but greatly increases the effects of such products, is said to produce dramatic results. In one test, for instance, hard-to-start yellow birch cuttings failed completely when rooting was attempted with a standard 0.3% hormone treatment, but achieved 100% success when the willow extract was added to the hormone.
If you'd like to try the extract yourself, discoverer Prof. Makota Kawase-of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center-suggests the following procedure: Soak willow cuttings, in enough water to cover them, for 48 hours . . . then remove the sticks and place cuttings of a woody species that you want to root in the "willow tea" for 24 to 48 hours. After their soak, dip the cuttings in 0.3% hormone powder (Hormodine is one commercially available brand) and plant the sticks in the cutting bed. Professor Kawase also suggests soaking seeds of woody plants in the fluid, and even watering transplants with the liquid. Give the technique a try . . . and let MOTHER know the results!
Willow water is actually an old-timer trick that's been around for a long time. The thing is whenever I read about it, they never say what kind of willow one should use. Does it matter?
Scott
Use the one with the most auxins.
Does the one with the most auxins translate to black willow?
Wiki on auxin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxin
Pretty fun class of chemicals, isn't it? From rooting to flower production to leaf abscission to death, this one does it all.
I'd vote to use the willow closest at hand. If you have a handful, try your own controlled experiments and see which one works best for you.
Salix nigra should work fine.
Parrotia new growth.
Yay!
another view of growth
Something is way wrong with the image posting database. This is the second time this evening, it posted something I didn't choose.
I'll post more pics later when things calm down with DG.
LOL
Annie
Parrotia leaf growth
Shows nice leaf edging.
Showing some of the new shoots
