tree damaged - worth saving?

pawrick

Hi all,

Looking for advice.

I planted an ornamental plumb tree in the middle of my front lawn about 2 or 3 years ago. It was recently visited by a heard of cattle. They did minor damage to a few other trees which I was going to remove anyhow but this one was going to be the centre piece in that side of the garden in years to come.

It's been snapped clean at about 5 foot, it still has one branch with a handful of leaves remaining but other than that it looks like i planted a stick!

Would you remove it and plant a new one or should I leave it be now the roots are established and hope for the best?

SSr0

Any pictures?

blindside88

My initial thoughts would be that it might take some time but will come back. It’d be no harm getting a tree surgeon or horticulturist out to have a quick look and give you a professional opinion.

pawrick

SSr0 wrote: »

Any pictures?

sorry haven't any on me right not to upload, but it's like a straight stick with a branch coming off it. it's still steady in the ground and not other damage other than the top two thirds now missing.

Squatman

it will grow fine, but the question is, are you happy looking at it, until it comes back?

SSr0

pawrick wrote: »

sorry haven't any on me right not to upload, but it's like a straight stick with a branch coming off it. it's still steady in the ground and not other damage other than the top two thirds now missing.

Did it have much of a crown starting to develop before the damage?

pawrick

SSr0 wrote: »

Did it have much of a crown starting to develop before the damage?

yes it did for it's size, it was flowering past two years also. still a small three however, trunk about 1.5 inches at the break point.

not worth getting a professional in for it as it was only a young tree and could be replaced cheaply enough. Just wondering should I leave it or start over.

pawrick

Squatman wrote: »

it will grow fine, but the question is, are you happy looking at it, until it comes back?

thanks, I guess I'm inclined to leave it if there is a good chance it will survive... even if it does look stupid right now. I just wasn't sure if this type of tree with such a dramatic break would survive.

SSr0

pawrick wrote: »

yes it did for it's size, it was flowering past two years also. still a small three however, trunk about 1.5 inches at the break point.

not worth getting a professional in for it as it was only a young tree and could be replaced cheaply enough. Just wondering should I leave it or start over.

I would leave it myself if it happened during spring time, or even early summer, but from the damage you describe? I think the lone branch won't get enough sun to sustain it before the end of autumn.

pawrick

SSr0 wrote: »

I would leave it myself if it happened during spring time, or even early summer, but from the damage you describe? I think the lone branch won't get enough sun to sustain it before the end of autumn.

sorry do you mean leave it as in plant a new tree or leave it alone?

SSr0

pawrick wrote: »

sorry do you mean leave it as in plant a new tree or leave it alone?

Sorry, I meant leave it and then access it again next spring.

SSr0

SSr0 wrote: »

Sorry, I meant leave it and then access it again next spring.

Typo- assess not access

pawrick

thanks, think I'll go with the advice here so and give it til next spring to see if it survives.

looksee

I think I would be replacing it, its never going to look like a satisfactory tree - it may survive but will always be one massive branch off to one side and not a lot else. You will just lose another year's growth waiting to see what happens next spring, and there is a good possibility it will get disease in such a large break.

Put in a new tree and a cattle grid.