Diagnosing severity of weed wacking incident

[Hollywood]

Young abiu. Can it recover fully? Doesn't seem to be suffering at the moment, but the incident occurred only yesterday.

[Sleepdoc]

Thats painful to see.  The weed whacker is something I am in a constant battle with.  I spend more time on weed whacker prevention when planting than the actual planting itself.  IMO, its the most destructive and dangerous force for a new planting.

I had a Sweetheart Lychee whacked in a similar manner at a young age a few years ago.  It did survive, but I think the growth was slowed. 

[murahilin]

Young abiu. Can it recover fully? Doesn't seem to be suffering at the moment, but the incident occurred only yesterday.

It should be fine since it only hit about half. Don't cover the wound and it should heal on it own. I've seen trees recover from much worse and constant weed-whacking.

[HMHausman]

Been there and had that done.....all too often by my various lawn guys.  I have purchased many dollars worth of weed wacker preventative devices and material.  A few trees suffering such damage will die. Most will continue to live but will draw energy from the plant to heal the wound.  I have had damage like that on both of my abius and they have survived. But my abius were considerably larger then the wounds occured. Some people apply some fungicide to the wound, just as a preventative.  I haven't done that though. Good luck and may the wound heal uneventfully.

Harry

[davidgarcia899]

Cant say I've weed whacked an Abiu, but I have alot of other things. I'd have to agree, since you only got one side it should be fine and wound will heal over you just have to give it some time.

I recommend you stop weed whacking though. Either herbicide or mulch, both are safer and more effective.

[fruitlovers]

I agree with Sheehan, it should recoop. It will bridge the cut. You see this a lot when making air layers, and those are the ones that don't take. But i disagree with Sheehan on covering the wound. I always put some mud over the wound. That helps to keep fungus, diseases, and gives some sun protection.
BTW, weedwackers are most common cause of plant fatalities over here. I always tell folks to use some bright  survey tape if they are going to put small trees in the ground.

[Mr. Clean]

I agree with Sheehan, it should recoop. It will bridge the cut. You see this a lot when making air layers, and those are the ones that don't take. But i disagree with Sheehan on covering the wound. I always put some mud over the wound. That helps to keep fungus, diseases, and gives some sun protection.
BTW, weedwackers are most common cause of plant fatalities over here. I always tell folks to use some bright  survey tape if they are going to put small trees in the ground.

I used 8" Drainage pipe (about $6 at Home Depot), cut the 10' long section into 1' sections and used that as cheap weedwacker protection.  When Isaac came by, I removed the pipe (it was difficult to remove without damaging the tree)...I haven't put it back on because of the damage caused from removing. 

I hit my Trompo Canistel with a weedwacker and took off a 2"x3" chunk out of the trunk (right at the graft union)...it happened in a split second.  All I had available was white spray paint and I sprayed the wound to cover it.  It is a petroleum based product and maybe not as good as latex, but the tree lives.  My goal was to keep moisture from leaving the tree.  The white color probably helped keep the area cooler from the hot sun too (keeping moisture in).

[cbss_daviefl]

I just found that my Hak Ip Lychee has a series of 1/4 inch cuts going most of the way around it.     The thing that really gets me is I had to weed the mulch around the tree to see the damage.  The lawn guy wacked the tree and not the weeds. 

[BENDERSGROVE]

I just found that my Hak Ip Lychee has a series of 1/4 inch cuts going most of the way around it.     The thing that really gets me is I had to weed the mulch around the tree to see the damage.  The lawn guy wacked the tree and not the weeds. 

I have had several trees damaged the same way by our lawn service till I came up with a perfect solution, in the event they whack a tree on me, I deduct full retail price plus from the bill,after I did that 2 or 3 times its amazing how no damage has occurred in 3 years, You need to hit them in the pocket hard and you will be amazed at the care they take,and if they dont like it they can always quit.there are no shortages of lawn services in south fl.

[jez251]

One way to avoid the lawn guys from damaging your trees is to do your own lawn maintenance. I wouldn't let anyone get near my fruit trees with a weed-whacker!

Jaime

[cbss_daviefl]

One way to avoid the lawn guys from damaging your trees is to do your own lawn maintenance. I wouldn't let anyone get near my fruit trees with a weed-whacker!

Jaime

I have for the last 25 years.  I am about to close a purchase of a house with 3 acres and keep my existing as a rental.  That will be too much work.

[BENDERSGROVE]

One way to avoid the lawn guys from damaging your trees is to do your own lawn maintenance. I wouldn't let anyone get near my fruit trees with a weed-whacker!

Jaime

I have for the last 25 years.  I am about to close a purchase of a house with 3 acres and keep my existing as a rental.  That will be too much work.

man 1 acre used to kill me,wouldnt want to deal with 3,im getting to old to lug around a weed whacker in the heat, just keeping up with the nursery is more than enough,lol

[fruitlovers]

Continuous nicking of the trunk with a weedwacker does put a terrible stress on trees, and also an entry way for diseases. It's all about weedwacker skills. But no matter how good and how careful you are sometimes you just can't cut tall grass right up to the tree without nicking it. What i do is get as close as possible without risking cutting the tree, then i go in with a small hand sickle and cut the remaining grass. It takes about 30 seconds extra time with hand sickle.
BTW i'm considering getting one of those wackers on wheels. Weedwacking 7.5 acres with regular weedwackers has gotten really old, even with a guy helping me. Anybody have recommendations on brands, models, sources, etc.?
Regular weedwacker is a real killer on the back as you have the machine mounted on just one side of your body, so after many hours it really takes a toll on back and shoulders.

[Mr. Clean]

Continuous nicking of the trunk with a weedwacker does put a terrible stress on trees, and also an entry way for diseases. It's all about weedwacker skills. But no matter how good and how careful you are sometimes you just can't cut tall grass right up to the tree without nicking it. What i do is get as close as possible without risking cutting the tree, then i go in with a small hand sickle and cut the remaining grass. It takes about 30 seconds extra time with hand sickle.
BTW i'm considering getting one of those wackers on wheels. Weedwacking 7.5 acres with regular weedwackers has gotten really old, even with a guy helping me. Anybody have recommendations on brands, models, sources, etc.?
Regular weedwacker is a real killer on the back as you have the machine mounted on just one side of your body, so after many hours it really takes a toll on back and shoulders.

...my solution would be to use the generic form of Roundup...but that solution may not work for you...

[zands]

Continuous nicking of the trunk with a weedwacker does put a terrible stress on trees, and also an entry way for diseases. It's all about weedwacker skills. But no matter how good and how careful you are sometimes you just can't cut tall grass right up to the tree without nicking it. What i do is get as close as possible without risking cutting the tree, then i go in with a small hand sickle and cut the remaining grass. It takes about 30 seconds extra time with hand sickle.
BTW i'm considering getting one of those wackers on wheels. Weedwacking 7.5 acres with regular weedwackers has gotten really old, even with a guy helping me. Anybody have recommendations on brands, models, sources, etc.?
Regular weedwacker is a real killer on the back as you have the machine mounted on just one side of your body, so after many hours it really takes a toll on back and shoulders.

http://www.weedwheels.com/wacker.html
Here is a set of wheels for your existing weed whackers. I have not bought his product.

zzzz

[fruitlovers]

Hey thanks Zands. I didn't know such a thing existed. That may be a good solution, although those tires look too small. Might be able to put larger tires on that frame. Certainly cheaper than buying and maintaining  a new unit...they are very expensive!

[zands]

Hey thanks Zands. I didn't know such a thing existed. That may be a good solution, although those tires look too small. Might be able to put larger tires on that frame. Certainly cheaper than buying and maintaining  a new unit...they are very expensive!

Maybe he can supply one with larger tires. You cannot be the only one who thinks larger tires would be better for your acreage. You can always ask him. Or maybe he can sell you just the frame and you can find better tires at Harbor Freight. They are always having tire sales there. Tires that would fit on handcarts and larger. Only question is would they bolt onto his frame

zzz

[fruitlovers]

Continuous nicking of the trunk with a weedwacker does put a terrible stress on trees, and also an entry way for diseases. It's all about weedwacker skills. But no matter how good and how careful you are sometimes you just can't cut tall grass right up to the tree without nicking it. What i do is get as close as possible without risking cutting the tree, then i go in with a small hand sickle and cut the remaining grass. It takes about 30 seconds extra time with hand sickle.
BTW i'm considering getting one of those wackers on wheels. Weedwacking 7.5 acres with regular weedwackers has gotten really old, even with a guy helping me. Anybody have recommendations on brands, models, sources, etc.?
Regular weedwacker is a real killer on the back as you have the machine mounted on just one side of your body, so after many hours it really takes a toll on back and shoulders.

...my solution would be to use the generic form of Roundup...but that solution may not work for you...

Roundup, or more correctly glyphosate, is the second largest cause of fatality in trees after weedwackers. If you have any low overhanging limbs it's very easy to get some herbicide on them. If the rootstock sends even smallest growth and you dont see it amongst the tall grass you spray it and you kill the whole tree. I see people spraying glyphosate on windy days. I'm sure it flies around and lands on all their plants. A good third way to kill them. I'm not even going to go into all the health and environmental problems with using this products, as i've already done so in other threads. As far as plant healt and soil health goes it's quite obvious that spraying herbicide around base of trees for many years negatively affects health of plants. Here many large orchards were experiencing slow die back in macadamia orchards. They hired a soil scientist to diagnose the cause. His answer: stop spraying glyphosate, go organic. Many large orchards did that and the trees started to flourish again.

[BluePalm]

I planted a Cushman and a Duncan mango behind a building I own. I normally take care of the lawn there...that is until a state prison crew came through my street and weedwacked a huge gouge out of the base of my 3 1/2" diameter Cushman trunk (it left it oozing sap).  I drove over to my dad's picked up some pruning seal and sprayed the wound. 3 weeks later and it looks like the tree never even missed a beat. I can understand prisoners weedwhacking tree trunks, but professional lawn guys should know better.

[JeffDM]

I saw "weed wacking incident" and was glad to read that it wasn't a personal injury.
I do my own yard work and always buy the wimpiest electric string trimmer I can get - this saves injury to my feet and plants while still getting the other stuff trimmed.
I might mention that it is very important to wear safety glasses anytime you use a weed whacker/string trimmer - I learned the hard way and almost took out my eye when  the trimmer kicked up a rock.

[Hollywood]

Thanks for the input everyone! I've been using this lawn service for 2 months now and have been impressed by how careful they are...when I told the young man who is the owner I thought he was going to start crying. He said he was thinking of quitting because his guys kept nicking trees despite his explicit instructions. I'm a softie, so I told him he should buy the wrap around weed guards and sell it to his customers. I told him to bring me several the next time they come to trim and we'll call it even. In the mean time, I am going to mulch an even wider circle around the trees and weed more diligently.

[BENDERSGROVE]

Thanks for the input everyone! I've been using this lawn service for 2 months now and have been impressed by how careful they are...when I told the young man who is the owner I thought he was going to start crying. He said he was thinking of quitting because his guys kept nicking trees despite his explicit instructions. I'm a softie, so I told him he should buy the wrap around weed guards and sell it to his customers. I told him to bring me several the next time they come to trim and we'll call it even. In the mean time, I am going to mulch an even wider circle around the trees and weed more diligently.

A cheap way to go is if you have a pool use a skimmer, the used hoses on the skimmer make a great trunk protector, use a knife to cut a foot long section,slice it long ways and use a couple of plastic slip ties to secure it,works great. If you don't have a pool,u can ask a neighbor. Who does or give me ai call and I always have a bunch of extras I can gives.

[bsbullie]

I agree with Sheehan, it should recoop. It will bridge the cut. You see this a lot when making air layers, and those are the ones that don't take. But i disagree with Sheehan on covering the wound. I always put some mud over the wound. That helps to keep fungus, diseases, and gives some sun protection.
BTW, weedwackers are most common cause of plant fatalities over here. I always tell folks to use some bright  survey tape if they are going to put small trees in the ground.

I used 8" Drainage pipe (about $6 at Home Depot), cut the 10' long section into 1' sections and used that as cheap weedwacker protection.  When Isaac came by, I removed the pipe (it was difficult to remove without damaging the tree)...I haven't put it back on because of the damage caused from removing. 

I hit my Trompo Canistel with a weedwacker and took off a 2"x3" chunk out of the trunk (right at the graft union)...it happened in a split second.  All I had available was white spray paint and I sprayed the wound to cover it.  It is a petroleum based product and maybe not as good as latex, but the tree lives.  My goal was to keep moisture from leaving the tree.  The white color probably helped keep the area cooler from the hot sun too (keeping moisture in).

Is that 2"x3" the size or does that include the depth?  As Murahilin stated, putting any kind of sealer on it is bad news and would most likely be more detrimental to the wound than leaving it exposed.  Have yo ever seen a tree company perform their annual tree trimming and seal the cuts (if you ever see one doing it be sure to NEVER hire them to trim any of your trees)?  There is a reason they don't and it falls under the same reasoning you shouldn't be sealing a weed whacker wound.

[fruitlovers]

I agree with Rob that tar seal is bad news. I think mud seal is good news though. Soil has beneficial micro organisms that keep the nasties at bay. Also it's good to block sunlight off the trunk wound. Ofcourse best is to not nick the tree in the first place. Really bad news is to repeatedly nick the tree. I think that really weakens the plants and invites disease problems.

[natsgarden123]

I'm out there every weekend pulling weeds so that a weed wacker isnt necc.

 A good layer of mulch suppresses most of the weeds and its pretty easy to pull out a few near the trunk and a few which pop up through the mulch.

My motto is: Why go to the gym when you can get exercise in the back yard and taking care of the lawn/trees is exercise.

[murahilin]

I agree with Rob that tar seal is bad news. I think mud seal is good news though. Soil has beneficial micro organisms that keep the nasties at bay. Also it's good to block sunlight off the trunk wound. Ofcourse best is to not nick the tree in the first place. Really bad news is to repeatedly nick the tree. I think that really weakens the plants and invites disease problems.

I've never heard of using mud before. I will have to look into that, it sounds interesting.

[fruitlovers]

I agree with Rob that tar seal is bad news. I think mud seal is good news though. Soil has beneficial micro organisms that keep the nasties at bay. Also it's good to block sunlight off the trunk wound. Ofcourse best is to not nick the tree in the first place. Really bad news is to repeatedly nick the tree. I think that really weakens the plants and invites disease problems.

I've never heard of using mud before. I will have to look into that, it sounds interesting.

I got the mud as sealant idea from an article in Organic Gardening magazine. They reviewed the tar seal prodcuts and found them not only ineffective but actually injurious to the plants. They suggested instead using local moistened soil on the large cuts. This article must have been 25-30 years ago. So i'm surprised anybody continues to buy those spray on tar seal sprays for pruning cuts?

[zands]

I agree with Rob that tar seal is bad news. I think mud seal is good news though. Soil has beneficial micro organisms that keep the nasties at bay. Also it's good to block sunlight off the trunk wound. Ofcourse best is to not nick the tree in the first place. Really bad news is to repeatedly nick the tree. I think that really weakens the plants and invites disease problems.

I've never heard of using mud before. I will have to look into that, it sounds interesting.

I got the mud as sealant idea from an article in Organic Gardening magazine. They reviewed the tar seal prodcuts and found them not only ineffective but actually injurious to the plants. They suggested instead using local moistened soil on the large cuts. This article must have been 25-30 years ago. So i'm surprised anybody continues to buy those spray on tar seal sprays for pruning cuts?

You are using the clay in the mud. What happens when the mud dries? Won't break off or wash off? Do you use plastic bag to hold it onto the tree? thanks

Clay can be a healing agent for people

[fruitlovers]

I agree with Rob that tar seal is bad news. I think mud seal is good news though. Soil has beneficial micro organisms that keep the nasties at bay. Also it's good to block sunlight off the trunk wound. Ofcourse best is to not nick the tree in the first place. Really bad news is to repeatedly nick the tree. I think that really weakens the plants and invites disease problems.

I've never heard of using mud before. I will have to look into that, it sounds interesting.

I got the mud as sealant idea from an article in Organic Gardening magazine. They reviewed the tar seal prodcuts and found them not only ineffective but actually injurious to the plants. They suggested instead using local moistened soil on the large cuts. This article must have been 25-30 years ago. So i'm surprised anybody continues to buy those spray on tar seal sprays for pruning cuts?

You are using the clay in the mud. What happens when the mud dries? Won't break off or wash off? Do you use plastic bag to hold it onto the tree? thanks

Clay can be a healing agent for people

Remember that not all soils are clay soils.  One of my orchards has clay soil and the other not. Both work equally well. I don't use a plastic bag. Once the mud cakes up it holds long enough for tree to heal. I suppose a torrential hurricane style rain could wash it off right after applying. Agreed clay is good stuff for both plants and animals, but what i'm mostly after are beneficial soil bacterias and fungi that are in soil, to help keep the bad guys out. Also all soils will help to block harsh sun rays. If your soil is pure sand then this won't work so well. You will have to mix your sandy soil with some compost.

[cbss_daviefl]

I have had my lawn mowed 3 times and they already have a confirmed kill 

[BENDERSGROVE]

I have had my lawn mowed 3 times and they already have a confirmed kill 

How the heck they do that?? dosent look totally dead,but dosent look great either. geez

[zands]

I got the mud as sealant idea from an article in Organic Gardening magazine. They reviewed the tar seal prodcuts and found them not only ineffective but actually injurious to the plants. They suggested instead using local moistened soil on the large cuts. This article must have been 25-30 years ago. So i'm surprised anybody continues to buy those spray on tar seal sprays for pruning cuts?

You are using the clay in the mud. What happens when the mud dries? Won't break off or wash off? Do you use plastic bag to hold it onto the tree? thanks

Clay can be a healing agent for people

Remember that not all soils are clay soils.  One of my orchards has clay soil and the other not. Both work equally well. I don't use a plastic bag. Once the mud cakes up it holds long enough for tree to heal. I suppose a torrential hurricane style rain could wash it off right after applying. Agreed clay is good stuff for both plants and animals, but what i'm mostly after are beneficial soil bacterias and fungi that are in soil, to help keep the bad guys out. Also all soils will help to block harsh sun rays. If your soil is pure sand then this won't work so well. You will have to mix your sandy soil with some compost.

I am just reading this now. Thanks for this valuable information. Even your orchard that has sandy soil has some clay content in the soil unlike 99% of SE Florida. Seems the famous Redlands in Homestead Miami has some clay content. "Earth our Cure" was an old book on using clay for various aliments internal and external. http://www.amazon.com/Our-Earth-Cure-Handbook-Medicine/dp/0806510137

Anyways someone threw out a lot of pottery clay so I have some clay on hard for tree wounds otherwise the only clay you see down here is red clay on baseball diamond

[cbss_daviefl]

The tree looked OK when I showed the damaged trunk to the lawn guy yesterday too.  All the wilting happened overnight.  The damage happened 2 weeks ago or a month ago.

[BENDERSGROVE]

The tree looked OK when I showed the damaged trunk to the lawn guy yesterday too.  All the wilting happened overnight.  The damage happened 2 weeks ago or a month ago.





[/quot  Do those cuts go all the way around the trunk?? if not it might make it just gonna set the tree back for a while,ive seen way worse and the trees have made it especially with lychees, trim the dead stuff of and hope!