Common Pear _ a root runner
In spring 2008 I was in a woodland on the north part of Prague searching for a blackthorns.
The whole area has been covered by the bushes of all possible sizes but none of them did not make me take out my camera. It is not a problem here to find a nicely sized trunk with cracked bark. But there is no movement on them. Just long straight pieces of wood without any taper.
The search brought me to an old pear. I have touched the nicely formed bark that has been developing for many years. I was about the leave the area when I have noticed tiny branches pushing their way out from the cover of fallen leaves. I have got on my knees and my fingers cleared away the brown leaves and pieces of tiny branches. The heart beat has accelerated and my mind was full of expectations. There was a very small tree with remarkably old cracked bark covering thick trunk with a small cavity. It takes many years to develop such size of the trunk and it was most probably the local roe deers and hares who kept the tree such small by feeding on young sprouts. Whow.
The excitement cooled down once I have removed some soil to reveal the roots. There were none. The small tree was sitting on a strong root of about 6 cm in a diameter that grew from the mother pear. This is not going to be an easy task.
I have visited the site next weekend with some basic tools for digging and a handful of sphagnum moss. The idea was to dig a hole around the tree to reveal a substantial part of the feeder and then to cut the far end of it and to airlayer the other part of the feeder closer to the truck of the mother tree. This has left the target tree sitting on a stump about 15 cm long. Once completed I have buried the hole with the original soil mixed with some organic fertiliser pellets. Finally the spot has been watered and covered by the leaves and other material to hide the spot.
Another visit took place after 2 weeks. Bad luck. The whole area has been dug up by wild boars. Most probably the smell of the pellets attracted their curiosity. I have returned all material back as good as I possibly could. Then I have collected pieces of rocks, dry trunks of small black locusts, some stums and all other materials to form some kind of barrier to keep the wild animals away. The tree has been watered and the barrier in place. I have left the area with mixed feelings. Is my branch fortress strong enough to keep 100 kg of muscles and bones out of my tree? Next saturday I hve been back. The whole area has been found in the same conditions as I have left. The same next week and weeks after. It works.
The whole area has been covered by the bushes of all possible sizes but none of them did not make me take out my camera. It is not a problem here to find a nicely sized trunk with cracked bark. But there is no movement on them. Just long straight pieces of wood without any taper.
The search brought me to an old pear. I have touched the nicely formed bark that has been developing for many years. I was about the leave the area when I have noticed tiny branches pushing their way out from the cover of fallen leaves. I have got on my knees and my fingers cleared away the brown leaves and pieces of tiny branches. The heart beat has accelerated and my mind was full of expectations. There was a very small tree with remarkably old cracked bark covering thick trunk with a small cavity. It takes many years to develop such size of the trunk and it was most probably the local roe deers and hares who kept the tree such small by feeding on young sprouts. Whow.
The excitement cooled down once I have removed some soil to reveal the roots. There were none. The small tree was sitting on a strong root of about 6 cm in a diameter that grew from the mother pear. This is not going to be an easy task.
I have visited the site next weekend with some basic tools for digging and a handful of sphagnum moss. The idea was to dig a hole around the tree to reveal a substantial part of the feeder and then to cut the far end of it and to airlayer the other part of the feeder closer to the truck of the mother tree. This has left the target tree sitting on a stump about 15 cm long. Once completed I have buried the hole with the original soil mixed with some organic fertiliser pellets. Finally the spot has been watered and covered by the leaves and other material to hide the spot.
Another visit took place after 2 weeks. Bad luck. The whole area has been dug up by wild boars. Most probably the smell of the pellets attracted their curiosity. I have returned all material back as good as I possibly could. Then I have collected pieces of rocks, dry trunks of small black locusts, some stums and all other materials to form some kind of barrier to keep the wild animals away. The tree has been watered and the barrier in place. I have left the area with mixed feelings. Is my branch fortress strong enough to keep 100 kg of muscles and bones out of my tree? Next saturday I hve been back. The whole area has been found in the same conditions as I have left. The same next week and weeks after. It works.
The tree has been collected next spring. Obviously a patience is not my best attribute. There were only few small roots. I have cut off the remainder of the strong root, covered the separated root of the small tree in wet moss and covered it in plastic bag. The original root has been covered by the wax and the hole has been filled with the soil. Finally all the area has been dusted by the leaves - it blended well with the near surroundings. At home the small pear has been planted in akadama mixed with some sphagnum moss cut in small pieces. Watered and placed in semi shaded area. New leaves have appeared within next fourteen days.
The growth in next years was far from vigorous. There are some new branches but it seems the tree is not is its best shape. I am looking forward to 2015 hoping for better results. I promise I will not touch the small pear in 2015 apart from water and some nutrients.
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