So this WAS a healthy little Japanese Acer Fireglow, which I just got this spring. It was positioned just under a fence (sheltered) that next doors cat likes to jump over and into our garden.
Haven’t had any reason to worry, the cat has left our garden alone mainly just using it as a shortcut to get back home over the fence.
Except one day it must have forgot the tree was there, hopped the fence and landed straight on my little tree and decimated it.
Is there any hope for this poor little guy to grow back, or is it done for?
by UnanonymousMan
13 Comments
Cut it cleanly at the break. It should grow back just as strong. 70:30 in your favor.
It will come back , water the stem occasionally and give it some food , keep the moggy away with lemons
I would suggest getting one of these. https://amzn.eu/d/4aLOXP6
Put it up for a couple of weeks where you know the cat comes into the garden and you’ll solve your issue longer term
Might want to get a doorbell cam or similar on that area, very much doubt a cat did that, cats will sometimes interfere with fauna bit by bit, no way a cat stripped all those
I’d be very skeptical this was the cat. Cats aren’t that heavy and a tree this small is bendy.
Theoretically the tree should reshoot
I think you could propagate the bit that snapped off, and if the original grows back you could have two acers
There’s a cat that keeps shitting in my flower bed… I’m gonna strangle the fucker (obviously jokijg6
Oh no! I empathise, as I’ve been having trouble with fat wood pigeons snapping branches off my young crab apple tree.
I’ve seen a lot of Acers on sale at the moment, if you did want to get another one whilst hoping for the best with that one.
Sometimes animals can be utter pricks. Foxes sometimes wreck plants in my garden like this and shit everywhere. I admire their tenacity to survive and thrive in so many habitats but they’re no friend of mine. Sometimes their wanton destruction and seemingly deliberately creative turd placement feels spiteful. I sometimes wonder if some of society’s nastiest humans are reincarnated as urban foxes.
Such a shame 😞
ask neighbour to pay 😅 buy a second one
An eye for an eye is the only solution I guess lol
Oh no, that’s heartbreaking, poor little Fireglow! They’re such beautiful trees, and it sounds like you gave it a great spot too. It’s amazing how one unlucky moment can undo so much care.
There *might* still be hope, depending on how badly it was damaged. If the main stem isn’t completely snapped and the roots are still intact, sometimes Acers can surprise you with a bit of regrowth, they’re delicate-looking but can be surprisingly resilient. You could try trimming any broken or splintered branches cleanly, keep the soil moist but not soggy, and give it a bit of time in dappled light to recover.
But if the trunk’s been crushed or uprooted entirely, sadly, it might be time to say goodbye. Either way, you clearly gave it a lovely home, and if it doesn’t make it, maybe its next incarnation will come with a little protective cage (or a sign that says “Cat Landing Zone: Do Not Disturb”). 🙃
Fingers crossed it bounces back!