26. Katsura Catastrophe
Vermin or verticillium wilt?*
Something gnawed at the bark of my recently planted Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum Japonicum). Maybe I could save it. Then, I noticed a brown haze in the cut trunk of the tree — could it be verticillium wilt? Oh no, will my tree survive?
*Oct 21 2023 Update: deer rut! I am pretty sure this damage is deer rut. Why do I know? The deer struck again!
Usual suspects
Two days ago I noticed that my new Katsura tree was leaning in an unusual way. Upon closer examination, the trunk of the tree had been destroyed - roughly 50% of the diameter of the tree about one foot off the ground.
Damage
I jumped on-line and read that a rough rule of thumb is that damage encircling the diameter of the tree up to 25-50% could survive, but beyond 50% the tree would die. I was over 50%, but the tree was still young. Maybe it could still survive?
What happened?
We have lots of deer, so my first reaction was to blame the deer. But maybe it was some other rodent, rabbit or vole. I should have protected this tree.
The Operation
Hope
At the base of the tree there was a branch, near the ground line, maybe if I cut the tree above at the damage line, the tree could bounce back.
I bought a cloche — little metal cage — to cover the tree while it grows back.
Felling the Katsura
So I, begrudgingly, cut the tree and protected the remains with a metal cloche. The katsura tree now looks like the precious rose from the Little Prince.
The surprise
Once I cut the tree, I saw something that made me feel even more defeated. What was that?
Could it be verticillium wilt? According to the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society):
Verticillium wilt is caused by the soil-borne fungi Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum. Both infect a very wide range of garden plants through the roots and then grow upwards in the water-conducting tissues, causing wilting of the upper parts due to water stress. Wilting is mostly seen from spring until autumn.
Verticillium wilt
There is no cure for verticillium wilt, and since it impacts the soil, I would have no success with my Katsura in this location.
I searched for images for verticillium wilt, and did not find a picture that looked exactly like my Katsura. The Impatient Gardener shared these photos of her trees impacted by Verticillium wilt:
Katsura Immunity
Hmm, maybe this was something else? I came across an article by Bartlett Tree Experts “Verticillium Wilt Resistant Species”. It lists numerous trees that are resistant to this fungi, including the Katsura!
I still don’t know what that brown region is, but I am hopeful it is not verticillium wilt. Phew!
Back-Up Plan
I now have a Katsura living in a cage, but I am not feeling super confident that it will recover. I also felt bad for just cutting down a Katsura tree.
Katsura Propogation
I decided to take cuttings off of the trunk that I just cut. I dipped the cuttings in rooting hormone (dip ‘n grow), and stashed them in damp sand. According to the internet, the best time of year to do this is in May or June, but I did not have much choice, nor did I have many beefy branches. I doubt this will work, but it was not much effort to give it a try.
Katsura Tree Saga
This little Katsura tree has already been on quite the voyage: starting from nostalgic dreams, to mistaken identity and dried out beginnings, here we now have take three!
The next step is to see will it grow! I sure hope so.