Zombie Juniper Pfizeriana/Media

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Moved it a meter, it's catching rays.

Sorry for the lens flare.

It seems to have escaped death.
"Strength in junipers comes from the foliage."
So the scientist inside me made good use of this. To keep this tree alive and to basically revert dull and dying foliage to vivid green (with some dead tips, I'll acknowledge that!) I needed something to get it pumping. Things inside that plant weren't communicating, the balance was off.

Good thing I have a lot of synthetic hormones in stock.
After all the insults, it got a bi-daily auxin treatment.
6mg/L every single time. For ten days or so.
It's like brute forcing a firewall; keep pushing until it gives, and conifers don't give easily. Since the foliage wasn't entirely dead, it could still take up water. It just needed to start talking to the roots again.
Mission achieved.

Now it can finally start recovering.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Every frond is growing.
Some are even growing upright.
Mission passed!

When the much needed rains stop, I'll be investing time in the dead wood.

 

[leatherback]

Graaaftiiing time!?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Graaaftiiing time!?

Next year it's grafting time for sure!

The donor mommy is happy, so enough to play with.
I'm happy I bought two of these!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It's messy, but very much alive. At least partially. The more I inspect it, the more dead wood I find.
Bark beetles really did a number on this one.

Can't wait to remove the wire this winter!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

All set for winter. Looking all healthy and stuff. No more borers!

I might replace the structural wiring this winter, but there are no signs of biting in. I'd do that only so I can remove the raffia and set the structure a bit tighter, the bends right now are a bit round for my taste and the wiring was done with effectiveness in mind and not aesthetics. I might go for all three when I try again.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Full recovery. More grafting next year.


Might toss this one. Difficult material.