Truth behind the trees at auburn.

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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The barners were well on their way to destroying those trees themselves. Dumb ole Updyke gave them exactly what they wanted, a name and face they can forever look to and blame, and the ability to cast Bama fans as villains, eco-terrorists, and nut jobs. To hear them tell it, until Updyke came along, the trees were happily photosynthesizing along until the serpent entered their paradise and caused their beloved tradition to be taken from them.
You are correct and that point was repeated over and over earlier in the thread. Their own faculty said the trees were doomed...
 

bat123

All-American
I killed about 8 red and water oaks day before yesterday. They were seedlings from acorns that squirrels tend to bury in my flower beds and hedgerows. Granted they were only two or three feet tall, but I guess you could call me a mass murderer.
Me? I'm a cereal killer I had a bowl of Cap'n Crunch this morning, and yes I too am a tree murderer!!
 

rizolltizide

Hall of Fame
Jan 4, 2003
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st pete, fl
I won't go into detail, but if those trees had been there for a hundred years plus, I hardly think they were in the wrong place. Whatever killed them, killed them, but I have a hard time believing it was the climate. I've never seen so many armchair arborists in my life. Use some common sense, people.
 

IH8Orange

Hall of Fame
Aug 14, 2000
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Trussville, AL, USA
I won't go into detail, but if those trees had been there for a hundred years plus, I hardly think they were in the wrong place. Whatever killed them, killed them, but I have a hard time believing it was the climate. I've never seen so many armchair arborists in my life. Use some common sense, people.
Surround a tree with enough fecal matter and it could grow anywhere. :wink:
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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Prattville
Great piece.

The problem about folks trying to not look at the rivalry, though, is the reason for the story even being public - the rivalry. Willing to bet at least once a month, someone in the country does what Updyke did to a tree. However, those stories aren't told because the trees don't have the meaning, nor is that person a fan of the tree's biggest rival. Same goes for the apartment complex shooting in the summer. Media continued to say "this isn't about Auburn football." Yeah, it was. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten the publicity or had the lead of "Auburn University football players shot..."

Take the sport out of both of those stories, and you barely hear a beep.
 

GulfCoastTider

Hall of Fame
I won't go into detail, but if those trees had been there for a hundred years plus, I hardly think they were in the wrong place. Whatever killed them, killed them, but I have a hard time believing it was the climate. I've never seen so many armchair arborists in my life. Use some common sense, people.
They haven't been there for 100+ years. I guarantee you that when they cut them down and age them, they'll be shown to have been there between 60-80 years, at best.

And, Quercus virginiae are not well suited for either that climate, that urban location, and both.

You can get those trees to grow there, but it has to be under pristine conditions and you have to use a lot of resources to make it happen. That means careful pruning, careful watering and careful fertilization. It also means nearly constant soil-testing and constant adjustments to soil chemistry to overcome the climatic limitations.

What you can't do is pave over the permeable surfaces above their roots, coat the damned things with toilet paper and then power wash them when they're trying to set acorns or drop their leaves. Those trees were doomed years ago, and by their actions, not Updyke's.

I still hate that this buffoon did what he did and gave them a reason to blame us for their demise. But it doesn't change the fact that those trees' demise is their own. damned. fault.

BTW, I'm not an armchair arborist. I'm a certified turf and tree care professional (still current, even though I'm out of the business) and I put myself through college caring for magnificent landscapes that included live oaks, St. Augustine and Bermuda grass.
 

bamanut_aj

Hall of Fame
Jul 31, 2000
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Spring Hill, TN
I won't go into detail, but if those trees had been there for a hundred years plus, I hardly think they were in the wrong place. Whatever killed them, killed them, but I have a hard time believing it was the climate. I've never seen so many armchair arborists in my life. Use some common sense, people.
I got arm chairs made out of oak, and they ain't dead. Or maybe they are. I ain't an arm chair arm chair specialist.
 

bama_fan01

Hall of Fame
Aug 25, 2003
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Ranburne, AL, USA
They actually didn't start rolling the trees until the early '90s. Before that, they just rolled the power lines, but, when the lines were buried, they started rolling the trees. Even before the rolling began, the trees were barely hanging on. Their root systems had been paved over and they are far to the north out of their range, since they are normally only found along the coast...
Like most of their "traditions", they haven't been around for very long! :)
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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They haven't been there for 100+ years. I guarantee you that when they cut them down and age them, they'll be shown to have been there between 60-80 years, at best.

And, Quercus virginiae are not well suited for either that climate, that urban location, and both.

You can get those trees to grow there, but it has to be under pristine conditions and you have to use a lot of resources to make it happen. That means careful pruning, careful watering and careful fertilization. It also means nearly constant soil-testing and constant adjustments to soil chemistry to overcome the climatic limitations.

What you can't do is pave over the permeable surfaces above their roots, coat the damned things with toilet paper and then power wash them when they're trying to set acorns or drop their leaves. Those trees were doomed years ago, and by their actions, not Updyke's.

I still hate that this buffoon did what he did and gave them a reason to blame us for their demise. But it doesn't change the fact that those trees' demise is their own. damned. fault.

BTW, I'm not an armchair arborist. I'm a certified turf and tree care professional (still current, even though I'm out of the business) and I put myself through college caring for magnificent landscapes that included live oaks, St. Augustine and Bermuda grass.
This - ^^^^ Thanks, Dave...
 

rizolltizide

Hall of Fame
Jan 4, 2003
14,825
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157
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st pete, fl
They haven't been there for 100+ years. I guarantee you that when they cut them down and age them, they'll be shown to have been there between 60-80 years, at best.

And, Quercus virginiae are not well suited for either that climate, that urban location, and both.

You can get those trees to grow there, but it has to be under pristine conditions and you have to use a lot of resources to make it happen. That means careful pruning, careful watering and careful fertilization. It also means nearly constant soil-testing and constant adjustments to soil chemistry to overcome the climatic limitations.

What you can't do is pave over the permeable surfaces above their roots, coat the damned things with toilet paper and then power wash them when they're trying to set acorns or drop their leaves. Those trees were doomed years ago, and by their actions, not Updyke's.

I still hate that this buffoon did what he did and gave them a reason to blame us for their demise. But it doesn't change the fact that those trees' demise is their own. damned. fault.

BTW, I'm not an armchair arborist. I'm a certified turf and tree care professional (still current, even though I'm out of the business) and I put myself through college caring for magnificent landscapes that included live oaks, St. Augustine and Bermuda grass.
Whatever you say, I believe. In fact, I've changed my mind. No way they could grow in that climate for any more than 60 -80 years. It finally got to them. And I put myself through college caring for magnificent landscapes that included live oaks, St Augustine and Bermuda grass, amongst many other varietals, as well. :)
 

TexasBama

TideFans Legend
Jan 15, 2000
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Live Oaks are pretty dang hardy. If they can survive in Central Texas, they can survive in Auburn. The Treaty Oak in downtown Austin was poisioned 20+ years ago and still survives. However, it wasn't rolled after poisioning, like after Auburn beat Alabama A&M, as shown below. I'm no arborist, but my guess on why they are having to cut the trees down......

 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,487
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Huntsville, AL,USA
There are articles written in the Plainsman dating back 7-8 years ago stating that the trees were being killed by abuse. Those articles were quoting their own arborists. I've linked the articles before, but they shouldn't be hard to Google...
 

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