Thorns are wicked

I’m not talking about roses.  The locust trees are full of thorns.  We planted seven of them around our patio because they’re fast growers, have gorgeous flowers in the spring and will make nice shade from the desert heat.  Heaven knows we could use that here!

My volunteer white locust tree.  It popped up last year.  You can see how much it's grown.

The last three or four years, we’ve had three more “volunteer trees” that have sprouted up.  The thing about the volunteers is that the flowers are white, unlike the purple hybrids we have, and the thorns are bigger and more wicked than the others are.  I read up on these trees and the original is a white tree, so there must be enough genetics to produce the white blooming trees, even though they came from the purple ones.  Nature is always a surprise.

The white trees are hardier than their counterparts are and much thornier.  They’re also stronger and grow quicker.  All that is fine, but it never fails that they need tending to when the wind is blowing at gale force.  A stake will brake or the ties securing the tree to the stake will give way.  This has happened more times than I can count. 

You can see how big and sharp these thorns are.  Sorry my pics are a bit blurred.

We’re trying to take good care of these trees so don’t want them to break off.  We rush out and try to secure them while barely able to keep our feet planted on the ground in the process.  Well since I’m on my own for a while, I’ve been out to tackle this same tree twice already.  There’s no way against being impaled because it’s impossible to grab the trunk or branches anywhere there isn’t a thorn waiting for your soft skin.

When we lived in California, we had a great scrap pile.  I could find anything I wanted there for any job that would arise.  Not so here.  I have to get very creative with my fixes.  Perhaps that’s why I’ve been through a small war with this tree twice already.  I don’t have the proper things in stock in the garage.  I do the best I can.  I fear now the stake will be going next.  It’s very loose and I don’t have the strength to pound it further into the soil or to replace it.

 This is my temporary fix to keep the stake in place for now

 

It took all my strength to tie wire and rubber around it a few days ago came loose, so I found a different one to put on it today.  I don’t know how long it will last.  I need three hands, so I use my teeth to grab one end of the tie, so I can use my hands for the other end and to push the thickening trunk into place.  I currently have the stake surrounded by cement blocks and rocks as a temporary fix.  I’ll have to look into getting some help to fix it up properly and hope it can endure the onslaught of wind until then.

Things crop up on a daily basis around here, so my day is rearranged all the time and seldom goes how I think it will once I get out of bed.  Meanwhile, I’ve stocked up on hydrogen peroxide and bandages.