On 4 May 2006 10:43:27 -0700, "Ether Jones"
wrote:

Also, make sure the tree is not too deep.

Two years ago I "rescued" a sick-looking Autumn-Blaze Maple from the
local Wal-Mart about mid-summer when it was on clearance.
[snip]
As you can tell from the above, in my ignorance I broke just about all
the rules.

When we returned from vacation I couldn't believe my eyes. The tree
was going nuts, putting out new growth everywhere.

This spring it is going nuts again; it's the healthiest-looking maple
on the property.

So my question is, should I dig this tree up this fall and plant it
properly? In other words, is it going to run into trouble as it gets
larger and starts to expand its root system? Or did I just get lucky
and get a tree with really good genes, and I should leave well enough
alone?


By the way, I bought a very healthy-looking Bradford Pear in a 3.5
gallon pot and planted it a week ago following all the rules. It's
already wilting and it looks like it's going to die. Doesn't make any
sense.
No, it doesn't. Not to get defensive, but the guidelines I offered
were based on textbooks and scientific research, not what my Uncle
Harold told me.

In the first case, I'd say the limestone is so porous as to be not
much different from open air (especially with the low watering
amounts) and because you planted so deep, it may have taken advantage
of the deep moisture to weather the hard times. Or maybe wally has
developed a tree that can survive the conditions that will be faced in
his stores ;-) And some trees are more tolerant of deep planting than
others. But the limestone against the root crown will likely have
detrimental effects over time. This critical part of the tree really
needs to breathe, generally speaking. It might be extreme to dig up
an established tree just to raise it up at this late date, but
removing the gravel to create a well is probably a good idea.

In the second case, it sounds like the tree went through some
transplant shock, which is common. Even if it drops its leaves,
though, keep watering and taking care of it. It will likely come back
later in the season or next year (you can be a little more proactive
by doing a scratch test on twigs now and then; if they are hard, dry
and brown they are dead, but if you scratch down to green tissue they
are just dormant). Why do some trees go through more shock than
others? Probably a host of factors combine to make this happen (going
abruptly from a semi-shaded greenhouse to a sunny lawn comes to mind),
but the bottom line is that it's not unusual and you should give it
time.

Keith