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Saving a tree from dying

dancraddancrad Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hi all,

First time posting here and hoping someone can help me!

Really grateful if someone could offer me some advice on saving a tree in my garden. I think it is some kind of fern and this time last year it had developed quite large green leaves and looked beautiful. This year it appears to be struggling and I'm not entirely sure why. Is there something I can do to help it out? I've attached some pictures for reference.

Thanks in advance for any help with this!

Dan

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited July 2019
    That's  Rhus typhina (stag's horn sumach.)  They will regenerate if cut back but with the proviso that they will then start suckering, which can be a real nuisence.
    PS, the roots are shallow so your lawn work probably had some effect and may have weakened it somewhat this year.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • dancraddancrad Posts: 3
    Hi Bob,

    Thanks for your reply. Does this mean I can leave it for the time being and hopefully it will be OK?

    Thanks again!
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Yes, if you want to see if it recovers by itself next year, I'd try giving it a feed now and cutting off any dead wood after the leaves start appearing next spring.  Personally, I'd have a wider border there, which would give the tree roots more space without having to compete with the grass.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    @dancrad Your tree appears to be growing close to the fence - if the fence divides you from a neighbour's garden, could the neighbour have planted something close to the other side of the fence and maybe cut into the roots of your tree? I would follow @BobTheGardener's advice and the link is very helpful too.
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