Some plants don’t die of natural causes. Sometimes they are murdered. Strangled, in fact, often by the people who planted them and care for them in the first place. Most gardeners don’t intend to strangle their plants, of course. In fact, it often happens as a result of trying to help the plant.
We wrap cords, cables and wires around plants that have been blown down or split apart in storms. We stake newly planted trees to support them as they get established. We put staples on our vines to help steady them as they climb to the tops of arbors. We put a plant in the ground and leave it tied to the stake that kept it upright in the pot when we bought it. And then we forget that we’ve done those things. The plant continues to grow and the cords, ties, wires or staples don’t move so eventually the plant dies. Some examples:
This tree was supported by this cable years ago and at the time it was put in place the owner made it very loose. But then they forgot about it. Eventually the wire got cut, but it was still circling the tree. Just as the tree was getting large and lovely, it died. Murdered.
My husband and I put these staples on our arbor to support our new grape vines five years ago. This year I took a close look and YIKES! The were in danger of dying.
Needless to say, we removed the staples. The vines are scarred but so far are still green and growing so hopefully we caught it in time. Walt Kelly’s Pogo was right: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
