Update on my sick Lilac

An arborist that works for the State stopped today because they want to take down one of our 200 yr old Maple trees  

He went over all the reasons why & unfortunately - he's right - but boo hiss anyway!

While he was here, I asked him about my lilac -

 Turns out it's not diseased, it's not suffering from lack of sun, the scale on it isn't an issue.

Some where in it's life time it got whacked with a weed eater or a lawn mower causing a major injury to it.  Adding insult to that injury is a severe frost crack.  Both are old injuries, long since scabbed over - but causing the bush to fail more & more every year. 

Oh, dear. That is too bad.  

Oh I love lilacs...most definitely my favorite flower! 

I so baby the 7 we have and only one seems to grow slower and not be as green & thrive the way the others have.  The first year we lived here it was so hot for a few days and DH laughed at me as I took a sun umbrella...stabbed it in the ground nearby to provide the bush w/ some shade.  He said the neighbors would think I was nuts as they drove by....I said...ask me if I care!!

Hey I was protecting my lilac!! LOL

Sorry to read about your ailing lilac Sue....at this stage will it mend & slowly come back???

ReneeC___NCalif:

mend & slowly come back???

Nope - Unfortunately it's dying a slow death.  He did tell me how to grow one from it though, so I might give that a try!

Sorry about your lilac, Sue!!  Hope growing a new one works!

Oh, that's unfortunate about the Lilac  :(  Take cuttings quickly, so new ones can get started.  Lilacs can be a little tricky to root.

Too bad about the lovely old tree, too ... why does it have to be taken down?

Lab the main structure has a huge spot that the bark is coming off and a cavity has developed. Further down the trunk, toward the ground, there is a split in the bark and the wood underneath is so rotten you can poke you nail into it & it will flake away.  I have four of these giant maples on my property, three will remain.  The good news is, next to the one they are taking down is a seedling that we let go when we moved in.  It is now about 10 ft tall but very spindly..taking this old tree out will allow the young tree to thrive.  Also, they are going to take a large dead branch out of one of the three remaining trees which should allow that tree to do better for few more years.

Sorry about the Sick Tree and Lilac, Sue.  Boo Hiss.

In happier news, though...is the furbaby in your Avatar *your* sweet furbaby?

Krissy~~~

Sorry you have to lose it, but sounds like the best thing.  So often they decline from the inside and nothing can be done but focus on saving the other trees.

A couple of years ago I had to have an old maple like your's removed, for the same reasons.  Seeing it in decline for a number of years, my Mother had thoughtfully planted a pretty Viburnum next to it (a better choice for that area).  It's now beautiful, loaded with flowers and berries, growing by leaps and bounds, a fitting tribute to the lovely old tree we lost  :)

Wonderful about your Maple's little sapling ... it should really thrive now.

Sometimes we have to sacrifice one to save the herd  :)

The people across the street from us removed all of their old maples & it really looks empty.   I really didn't think they all needed to come down, but what do I know!  It will certainly look different with that tree gone.

Krissy - yes that is my furbaby!  My husband wanted an Airdale in the worst way, so he was my mothers day present (I bought him earrings for Fathers day that year).  We rescued him from the local shelter.  The people that owned him before had gotten him as a puppy and he lived outside the 3 yrs they owned him.  Now that we have him, he's a house dog & total baby.  He comes & crawls in bed with us when it thunders.  I'm not sure how he managed outside by himself   He is a terror though, so much energy!  Last year he finally settled down enough for me to take him to obedience.  At graduation he got an award for being the oldest dog in the class!  (he just turned 8).

At graduation he got an award for being the oldest dog in the class!  (he just turned 8).

What a Sweetheart and a what a Sweet Story!

Thanks, Sue~~~Your dear story made me smile.

Krissy

He's an absolute doll of a dog.  He even sleeps with his toys, LOL.