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[gary]

I have an Althea bush from a “cutting” from my Grandmother’s house. The “mother” is over 100 years old. I planted my cutting in the ground. I thrived beautifully. After it was well over knee high with many healthy leaves, my landscape maintenance person accidently cut it down with a weed-eater. I’m so saddened because of it’s history. I have not done anything yet, just left it planted in the ground. Will it live; continue to grow again; be ok; or have I lost it?

[Gaspard]

Hi, Gary! Sad to hear about this misadventure… First things first – did you start cuttings with what the landscaper cut away? At least you’ll have a N+2 generation of your Grandmother’s shrub if things go awry!

Now for the cut down victim: althea are actually pretty resilient and robust. They also readily sprout from the trunk in any case. So for this little fella, it’ll feel like a particularly harsh pruning, but hey, it’s its first!

Summer is in full swing, plant growth continues unabated. There’s a very high chance that a bud will form at the stump. What you now have to do to protect it is:

• set up something to keep this from happening again, for instance a little ring of mesh wire or a series of twigs stuck in a circle around the stump
• protect it from animals if there are any grazers around (deer?)
• don’t water! Roots can’t send their water anywhere – it’ll rot them if you water too much. At this stage, consider the root system oversized, you probably won’t need to water until fall rains do the job themselves. Exception in point: three weeks of searing heat with not a drop, then give it just a glassfull or two maximum.

That’s all, basically!

[Bumble Bee]

Might I add something? I’d also get back to the stub and make sure the cut is clean. If need be, use a secateur to make a nice, round cut. Try check whether a bud might already be forming or not, don’t cut it off of course!

[gary]

Wow, thanks!  You are awesome to respond with the encouragement

 

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