Dave Tree Report
So Long, Dave Tree
October 26, 2005
Not a happy camper.
After four years in northern Vermont, the Dave Tree is failing to thrive. It's just not happy in this climate and needs a new home.
Marilyn Sargent has agreed to adopt the Dave Tree. In consultation with Traci (who is a skilled horticulturist in real life), on Sunday, October 30, 2005, I went out and dug up the Dave Tree.
Digging up the tree was a much easier job than I anticipated. The soil was very soft after all the rain (and snow) we have had lately, which made for easy digging. Plus, the poor little guy has hardly any roots to speak of. It's astonishing that the tree has managed to come back from the dead and grow a new trunk from scratch not once but twice, when you see what a small root system it is working with.
Once the tree was out of the ground, I wrapped the root ball in a plastic bag, which I secured to the greenhouse tube with duct tape. I originally planned to rig up packaging myself, but have decided not to attempt it. Instead I will bring the tree to a pack and ship outfit.
November 1, 2005
The Dave Tree sat in my garage from Sunday afternoon until today (Tuesday). This morning I put it in the car and took it to the UPS Store on my way to work. It was a bit pricey, but well worth it, to have the tree professionally packed. Besides, Marilyn is picking up the cost of packing and shipping :-). "Scott" showed me the boxes he would use (rigging two together), and told me he would put a bag over the leaves, foam here and there to keep the tree from being crushed in transit, and so forth. The Dave Tree will travel UPS Ground, and should get to Marilyn tomorrow.
Before I left, I asked Scott if I could take his picture with the tree. If he thought I was insane, he gave no indication.
I'm a little sad to see the tree go, but it's clear that it will never do well here. Marilyn has a beautiful yard with a perfect spot for the Dave Tree, and she is excited about adopting it. This is, as they say, for the Dave Tree's own good.
So long, Dave Tree. It's been fun.
The Dave Tree Certificate of Adoption (Copy of the certificate that I sent Marilyn)
Helen Read