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Glenna Rose

writes:

Sounds like disease rather than trauma. Do you have a county
agricultural extension agent? They have resources to check it out and
research what the problem might be.

Our extension agent told me that this was probably the life cycle of the
tree which grows quite rapidly compared to trees such as oaks. They don't
live long, unlike oaks, and seemed to think if these trees (the other one
and mine) were 50 or so years old, they had passed their expected life
span. I counted the rings on the cut one as best as I could; it looks
like it is at least 40 years old. The rings were also significantly wider
than the rings on the cherry trunk we picked up at the same time.

He didn't think disease was an issue but said what happened with mine and
the way it happened was typical of trauma to the root system, such as the
roots disturbed with equipment working around it, something parking under
it, etc. Since none of that happened to mine, it goes back to age.
Bummer!!!

The other one had an above-ground swimming pool under it and the guy said
he had been working with trucks back there so theirs may well have been
trauma. Since I really don't know what lead up to theirs dying, it's hard
to say. I suspect, from what the extension agent said, that the vehicle
activity involved in cleaning up the storm damage may be responsible.
Mine, though, had no such thing as traffic around the tree. Even the
garden is out of the drip line. So maybe they were both age-related.

What do you plan to do with the wood?
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

I am hoping to have enough to build a chest, like a cedar chest. It will
depend on how much I can salvage and how many large pieces there will be.
Now all of the "other" tree is here so I can start working on saving what
I can. Most of it is in smaller lengths in the area of two feet long, but
I also have the trunk and might be able to get some 3-foot length pieces
out of it if I'm lucky. This tree was still putting out a few green
leaves so wasn't completely dead so I would think it should sit a year or
so before anything is done with it. Is that a correct conclusion for
trying to use the wood? It appears to be in pretty good shape overall
with no rot or other such "bad spots."

I have granddaughters so there is a wide range of projects to build for
them, something for always. Of course, jewelry boxes and the like are
popular with girls. Some of the smaller pieces will likely become bird
houses and other such "uneventful" projects. When I was in England in
1998, I purchased a hand-made Midsummer Night's Dream chess set at
Shakespeare's home in Stratford Upon Avon, which needs a special chess
board. Pieces of my own downed cherry tree and magnolia tree would be
good for that, maybe with a touch of stain on one for contrast. Of
course, a larger piece could become a chopping block. :-)

The extension agent said that it is quite common for folks who move here
from southern states to plant these rather than trees more suited to our
climate. I thought that odd since the tree (until it died, of course!)
seemed quite healthy and bloomed all summer, wonderful huge blossoms. Of
course, the constant supply of dropped leaves, twigs and small branches
all year long also makes it a messy tree and causes one to appreciate the
fall leaves rather than the all-year leaves.

We moved the big pieces here on Saturday, company on Sunday, so it will be
the weekend before I get started on getting these where they need to be
(and painting the ends to seal them in an attempt to help reduce
splitting). It's nice to have this one for learning before ours is cut.
The trunk on ours is longer before it branches so we will be able to get
4-foot lengths from it as long as it doesn't split. It's fortunate to
have this "practice" wood before ours is cut. Ours will also be cut in
the fall so the weather will be cool and moist for it to start curing.

Glenna

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