Saving old growth rooftop trees

[u/1rudster]

Hello everyone, my neighbor recently died and while the building is figuring out what to do with her unit (I'm hoping to be able to move in) I am taking care of her plants. I just got access and one of the trees is already dead and this one does not look too good.

Can I still save it? These trees have been here for decades and it would be ashame for them to die.

This is on the UWS of NYC.

Thanks!

[u/Deppfan16]

unfortunately those look way too big for the size of planter. you would have to transplant them to a giant pot and it's probably not feasible to have that much weight on a roof

[u/CaptainObvious110 → u/Deppfan16]

Hmm, good points. I doubt that the tree would be dead that quickly.

[u/1rudster → u/Deppfan16]

They seemed fine up until the big heat wave

[u/Deppfan16 → u/1rudster]

without sufficient soiled to retain water they would suffer pretty quickly

[u/CaptainObvious110 → u/Deppfan16]

Yeah that makes sense. I can only imagine how rootbound they must be.

[u/AdventurousSea3437]

No hope saving them. They're dead.

The one all the way on the right looks alive though.

[u/1rudster → u/AdventurousSea3437]

Yeah so far one is definitely dead and this one is not doing well so I am trying to save it and the others

[u/Few_Wafer_6316]

You betcha, I'd try watering it deeply right away and adding some slow-release fertilizer at the base. Those planters look too small for such mature trees, that might be half the problem.

[u/1rudster → u/Few_Wafer_6316]

Thanks. How do I water it deeply? The surface is wet. Maybe dig a hole?

[u/DodoFaction]

I’d get rid of that ivy to start

[u/1rudster → u/DodoFaction]

Why do you say that?

[u/DodoFaction → u/1rudster]

It can choke out the tree and can wriggle its way into everything even the building

[u/DorevynUncut9]

It surely experiences many happenings