Mice gnawed the bark off my burning bush

GardenForums.com a friendly and growing community of gardeners. We feature a Garden Discussion Forum and Garden Photo Gallery. It's a fun and friendly place to talk with other gardeners, ask questions, share you knowledge, view and post photos and more! Whether you're a master gardener, or brand new to the hobby, you'll find something of interest here.



Mainegal

Super Moderator
Staff member
What I should? I noticed it yesterday when I came home from work. The snow finally melted around the bush so I could see it.
Got to get a drill out and drill a hole in the trunk of the rose of sharon and bolt it back together as the snow split it. Guess I should measure it today and pick up a stainless steel bolt that is long enough for it.
 

swindy

New Member
Laurie those little buggers must have been hungry. I dont know what you can do, did they strip the bark all the way around the burning bush? maybe if there is some bark left it will repair itself. I hope somebody checks in with help.
 

Jade

New Member
You will probably be ok unless they girdled it. We have a large split in the London Plane tree that we put in last year. I had a lawn consult with a guy from my favorite garden center a few weeks ago and had him look at it. He said that it was healing over and that the tree will probably be fine. Just keep any dead wood peeled away. Those special pastes and waxes don't really do much except keep infection trapped if it gets infected.
 

Mainegal

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jade
I looked for the local nursery guy at the flower show last weekend and he told me to use the bolt on the tree.Randy had told me the same thing to use the bolt to bolt the trunk back together, forgot to look for a bolt yesterday
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
Laurie, stainless steel would be good, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Bolts at a hardware store usually will go up to only 6" long. But you can buy what is called "running thread". I used a lot of that when hanging pipes or conduit in commercial installations. Hardware stores will normally sell running thread in lengths three or four feet long. The ones I bought from the supply houses were eight feet long. But if you can get the broken part of the tree back in position, you could also use heavy eye bolts and chain with S-hooks to keep the branches in place. The bolts or chains serve to keep the stress off the bark of the tree.
 

treeman

Member
Laurie, Also use very large washers between the head and nuts and the bark. This will help to prevent gouging. Install the eye bolts and chain to string between the broken forks a foot or two above the bolt installation. Allow a little bit of slack to accomodate the normal flexing the plant would endure in winds.
 

treeman

Member
I forgot to comment on the burning bush.... I would expect Euonymus to reprout from the base or roots rather readily and look fine in no time.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Ok here is a tried and true for missing bark. Don't laugh....Duct Tape. about 15 years ago I had a myrtle that was root bare sitting in my ditch waiting for a planting and the garbage truck picked it up for trash. I chased down the truck but not before they compacted the load.:( I made them drive it back to my house and redeposit it in my yard. ( it was about 8 ft at the time.) the trunk was split and the compactor had skinned all the bark from the trunk up about 3 ft. I thought it was a goner. I repaired the split with a surround of 1x2's and duct tape and then preceeded to work on the bark. I just made a bandage with the tape. several layers over lapping so bugs could not reach the open trunk. Today ( oh I have moved it one time since.) it stands in my from yard at about 25 feet. the duct tape eventually fell off on it's own and the splints did their job. Just another versitile use for the gray stuff!
 

treeman

Member
I'm LAUGHING! I can just see Crabber Girl running down the road after the garbage wagon screeching at the top of her lungs "Stop thieves!" Then standing in the middle of the road with about a half dozen kids looking on while she waves her finger and lectures the trash guys about stealing her myrtle. I bet those guys were really rolling their eyes as they climbed back in the truck to turn around to redeposit that tree. I'm surprised she didn't make them dig her a hole. Can you imagine what they told their co-workers back at the depot about the crazy woman? Instead of Crabber Girl, she was probably referred to as Crabby Girl. The only thing that could make it any funnier in my mind is if Crabby.... er Crabber was wearing a bikini while she was chasing the trash truck down the street.

I bet that from that moment on the trash crews treat you just like the newspaper boy and mailman treat Hyacinth in "Keeping up Appearances"..... They try to come by when you won't be there.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
Wes, you paint a pretty good word picture there and have me laughing. I watch those shows of Hyacinth too and can just visualize that garbage truck hanging back until they make sure Miss Crabber is nowhere in sight.
 

deck chucker

New Member
I used to before we lost WQLN here. Richard! Would you be a dear and dig a hole for my tree? Don't forget your tie and proper gloves! You know it's Tuesday and Mrs. Counsellor Nugent might be by.
Hey, I'd have chased the truck down, too. :)

If you can't save that particular piece of burning bush I've had good luck just taking a cutting and sticking it in the ground and it's rooted. And that's just in clay.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'm LAUGHING! I can just see Crabber Girl running down the road after the garbage wagon screeching at the top of her lungs "Stop thieves!" Then standing in the middle of the road with about a half dozen kids looking on while she waves her finger and lectures the trash guys about stealing her myrtle. I bet those guys were really rolling their eyes as they climbed back in the truck to turn around to redeposit that tree. I'm surprised she didn't make them dig her a hole. Can you imagine what they told their co-workers back at the depot about the crazy woman? Instead of Crabber Girl, she was probably referred to as Crabby Girl. The only thing that could make it any funnier in my mind is if Crabby.... er Crabber was wearing a bikini while she was chasing the trash truck down the street.

I bet that from that moment on the trash crews treat you just like the newspaper boy and mailman treat Hyacinth in "Keeping up Appearances"..... They try to come by when you won't be there.


LOL! I have tears in my eyes! I have to admit in retrospect I almost would rather keep that little visual to myself!:p LOL! Don't remember what I had on but could very well have been shorts and a bikini top. And yes they were laughing before I could make them really undersatnd what they had done. I did learn my lesson though , they won't pick up what you want them too but by gosh don't leave anything you want to keep anywhere near the ditch.:rolleyes:
 


Gardenforums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Top