At this time all of my oak trees, from the 250 year old tree to the one barely taller than me are dead or in some stage of dying. After a failed $4,000 treatment to try and save them i gave up and wrote them off as a casualty. The thing i leaned on for comfort was that i still had my cedar trees. They function as a privacy fence, surrounding the cleared portion of my property in thick greenery. They were to be the one constant of the property in the department of ground coverage. However, the cedar trees are now dying. At first i thought a few of them just didnt make it through the drought. They are known for having somewhat shallow roots compared to other trees so maybe they just couldnt wait four years for rain. However, whatever is ailing the trees is spreading from tree to adjacent tree. When one dies the trees around it begin turning brown until the whole thing drops its leaves and becomes a ghostly coat stand. Recently my electrician alerted me to the fact that my cedars are not the only ones suffering. They’re turning brown and dropping their leaves on other properties in town, including his, and nothing done seems to be helping. Sometimes i sit and look at the trees on my property in their mangy state and i wonder if they arent the canary in the coal mine. Who knows what pest or disease is killing the cedars. Everything ive researched does not have an effective cure so getting a proper diagnosis would just satisfy curiosity, not help the problem. However, can we survive an environment not suitable for trees?
Ive planted an elm tree. Ive bought a crape myrtle and a redbud. I will just have to keep adding trees that are not oaks or cedars. However, not much else grows here and also i cannot replace hundreds of trees. I refuse to spend the money or dig that many holes through the rock. I cannot make woods. If the woods die then i will plant a tree here and there and i will just have to be content looking at them instead. So ive at least chosen some that will be colorful. Next on my list is a mountain laurel and perhaps wisteria. Definitely some fuchsia honey suckle and perhaps carolina jasmine. I have to let the rest of it die first though because these things will be planted where their brethren once stood. They’re not quite dead yet so for now we’re in the planning stages, not the doing stages, of woods replacement.