Fire Damage: Can Plum Tree be saved

[johnn]

This morning while at theraphy my wife decided to burn down our Ornamental Grass for the new season`s growth. Its somewhere close to the "Miscanthus Morning Light" (Grows huge, 5 ft. tall,4 ft. diameter) Lots of leaves ready to go up, like really quick!! Normally you would cut them back first then burn off the base. Not so Today. In close quarters was an plum tree (never has had fruit in 4 years growth. At least 1/3 of the mass of limbs and new growth for the season has been scorched. I know they will die, perhaps even the tree. Would cutting the secondary branches off now,, be better than waiting to see the outcome, or would this be too much added stress right after budding and leafing.
Thanks

 

[savageactor7]

I would just sit tight and observe it for a week 10 days or so.

A simple scorching may not be devastating, I supposed if you were to trim off a branch and noticed any leakage by the end of the day that would be a sign of life. <---- but don't do that cause it could possible overstress the tree at this point. Trimming of fruit trees should be done in feb/mar while their dormant.

Let us know and good luck with your tree.

 

[johnn]

Thanks savageactor 7: I got some water sprouts that shoot straight up, (should have been cut) that are ten feet off the ground that got scorched. This was one bad ball of flame with an attitude. :coolgrin: 7 feet up wind, is minor damage done to my drooping cherry,,,guess the chartreuse Japanese Maple, was too close to the ground to get damaged :cheese:
The worst part of it all is my Wifes forearm,,,what was she thinking, with her buckett of water :-/

 

[NoPaint]

Just so we all understand: if her procedure had gone the way she wanted to what would the positive outcome have been?

 

[ansehnlich1]

I wouldn't touch that tree yet, give it some time and see what happens. I planted some 4 yr. transplants last year, they were white spruce, on of 'em lost almost all it's needles, though for sure it was dead, but now it has vigorous growth from the bottom. I'd wait a bit and see what that plum does....

 

[johnn]

Just so we all understand: if her procedure had gone the way she wanted to what would the positive outcome have been?

Positive Outcome???Hmmm... I`ll try to be positive.

Seeing how two years earlier,,,same place same thing,,only smaller,,,one branch lost.
I guess,,,2 strikes,,,0 balls,

Positive outcome would have been no blistered forearm