In article ,
says...

Butterfly;896558 Wrote:
I have a 20 yr old American purple stem willow tree it is not very big,
about 9 or 10 foot tall and about 9ft diametre. Apparently they stay
fairly small. Its leaves have started to go yellow, not sure if its
because of the new slabbing around it or that it will be getting less
water or if its normal for the leaves to go yellow at this time of year

I have just had the area slabbed around it to extend the patio and while
this was being done some of the roots (I'm pressuming it was the roots
from the willow) were chopped off as the area was dug to about 5 or 6
inches before the slabs were laid so it has lost 5 or 6 inches of top
soil over a 15ft by 15ft area. The gaps between the slabs have been
filled in and under them will now be the sand and cement mixture which
was put in all the corners so there will be gaps under there too with no
soil.

I don't really want to lose it, next to the trunk there has been left
quite a small area about 18 inch square which has been filled with
soil.

Could it be that it has to recover from the roots being chopped a bit or
will it be lack of water? I thought with it being there for 20 years
that it might withstand it as its root system was well established. Will
it recover?

Anyone have any ideas about this please?




--
Butterfly

If it is just root damage due to the digging it will recover during its
dormant period this winter, if it is objecting to the sudden increase in
PH then its recovery may take longer. It may of course just have been the
dry year to date. but whatever, sit on your hands and do nothing (apart
from water if you think it could be very dry) See what happens in spring
before deciding what to do
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea