Badly Burn't Salix

Hi all,

My lovely neighbours went to bed after a bbq and obviously didn't put it out properly. Some hours later I woke up to their and my garden on fire. I woke them and got the fire brigade out. Neighbours are not gardeners it is just an overgrown mess.

My fence panels were burn't but they can be replaced. I have lost a lot of plants but the one I'm most upset about is a twenty year old Salix. It is a big old beast!

The first day it didn't look too bad but now appears to be dying a bit more everyday. If I scrape the bark it is white not green, does that mean there is no hope?

I am thinking off cutting the head right back but don't want to do the wrong thing.




Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Oh dear, I can’t imagine how upsetting that is and thank goodness you spotted the fire before any more damage.

I would recommend patience. We regularly walk in Sutton Park and there are several patches there which were burnt in fires a couple of summers ago. It’s amazing how many of the trees have recovered and how quickly despite looking far worse than your Salix.

If it was mine, I would wait and see if/where any new growth starts and then make any pruning decisions.

 

The side that's still green will possibly keep growing. Not sure about the burnt part - I think I would leave it alone for a while and see what happens
I don't think a relatively short-lived fire would have killed the roots, so it might grow back from the base particularly on the unburnt side, but it would take a while to reach that size again and it might not grow from the burnt side. Trees that have been struck by lightning and burnt often grow back from below the damaged part.

 

Thank you, do you think I should cut the burn't bits?

No insurance and neighbour feels that they have replaced the fence job done. He doesn't understand why I am worried about my bushes!

I am truly devastated I loved the tree and my other plants.

 

So sorry I seemed to of missed this message.

Yes it is so upsetting and neighbours don't get if or care. Thank you for understanding.

I do hope mine recovers like those in Sutton Park.

 

I sympathise with you.
I would leave the tree alone for at least 12 months because I think new growth will appear in time. The burned shoots can be removed by rubbing off to clean it up but I would not try cutting out any branches yet. After a year it will be clear which branches, if any, have been killed. They can be cut back to fresh wood. Being a willow, I am sure it will fill out and recover with time and patience.

 

This is it today, it looks worse than last week when I took the other pics






This is it last summer

 

Thank you, when I scratch the bark it is a creamy white colour no longer green. Do you think it can still recover?

 

What a stunning garden, I can see why you are so upset. Sadly a lot of people just don't see any value in trees and bushes, it doesn't occur to them that it takes years of care and patience to get a plant to that size and condition.
Hopefully the neighbour has learnt a lesson and will be more careful with the barbecues in the future.
One bright point of this rainy bank holiday is not having to suffer the barbecue stink!

 

I think it's going to look worse before it gets better, as other have said, I doubt it's dead but the shape will have been ruined.
Just seems like a waiting game to see what happens.
At least at this time of the year it has the summer to make a comeback.

 

Perhaps if you could find a similar mature specimen on line for sale at a probably extortionate price and show that to your neighbours they might sympathise more?

 

You could help it recover by watering deeply two or three times a week and adding a mulch of organic matter around the base. This will allow the roots to recover from the loss of foliage above. Don't feed at this stage until you see new growth appearing. I'd give it three months or so to see how it fares and then prune out any areas that have shown no sign of recovery.

 

I would if they were showing any interest. When it happened a week ago they said they would replace everything, now they seem to think the fence is enough.

 

TBH I dont think its replaceable.
But it would be nice if they showed some concern.