What's the wreak of an 80 years dated cherry tree dying? We have a large cherry tree that¡¯s roughly 80 years old in...
We have a large cherry tree that¡¯s roughly 80 years old in our backyard. About 5 years ago, in attendance was a storm and a large branch of the cherry tree is ripped apart, disappearing a large hole in the tree. When I go to examine the hole, I notice how there are bits of wood chip inside the cherry tree, as if some insects where on earth munching on the wood. After that storm, the cherry tree didn¡¯t bloom for 3 full years. During that time, some branches slowly die off. On the fourth year, the tree finally blossom again up until now approaching usual.
However, I¡¯m quite worry just about the insects that are invading the tree and those dead branches. When I ask my mother, she told me that that¡¯s how fruit trees are. When they get elderly, the branches slowly die off until the entire tree is dead. Personally, I don¡¯t really believe her since I¡¯ve never hear of such thing and she¡¯s no tree expert, but I¡¯m not sure now.
So can anyone narrate me if the branches were just dying because of that wreck in the storm, or it¡¯s just approaching my mother said that the tree is coming to age and dying off?
P.S. Please don¡¯t give me an answer resembling, ¡°chop off the tree and plant a new one.¡± That¡¯s simply cruel and that¡¯s exactly what my mother said.
I can't say exactly what is scheduled to your tree. I just wanted to mention that it is not cruel to enjoy the tree cut down if it is reaching the end of its life. As Forrest Gump's Mama other said. "Dying is a part of living".
If the main cut of the cherry tree is still in good condition, you can own someone from a lumber company cut the tree down and they will pay you good money for it. Then some carpenter can use it to built a couple pieces of delicate cherry furniture that can be used for another hundred years.
It sounds like your tree have got Cherry Stem Borer.Now Borer is common surrounded by all types of trees,but old trees especially,as they dry up inside the trunk.You can bring back a solution from a garden center,like a paste which you squirt within the holes.But I would say you won't save the tree entirely,it is exceedingly old.And had a fitting life. The tree is trying to tell you something. Maybe you should own it taken out before the bugs invades other trees or even your house. Keep a piece if the trunk as a momento. you can use it as a table on you porch or something.
Answers: We own an old family estate beside a number of trees that are between 80-100 years old. What your Mama said is completely true ~ as trees age, it's becomes more difficult for them to get the sap out to the branches and so those branch tips start to die sour. Every year, as you've noticed, more of the tree dies off. This is a typical progression, and eventually what crop up, is you'll be left with a trunk beside maybe a few sparse branches with leaves. This explanation come to me from our local department of Urban Forestry who came out to examine a silver maple tree on our property that looked to be dying.
When trees start to die, they become more susceptible to insects boring inside the wood and birds (such as wood peckers and flickers) drilling inside the wood to get at the bugs. They are also more prone to disease and breaking past its sell-by date in wind storms. These are adjectives signs that the tree is dying.
Fruit trees on average live about 40-50 years so yours has have a very long life. If you enjoy a sentimental attachment to the tree ~ and yes, I can understand because we have trees that be planted by our great grand parents, I keep an eye out for "babies" growing up within the yard and replace the old tree beside one of the babies. I've done this with Grandma's old RedBud tree, honeysuckle tree, and one of her peach trees next to excellent success.