Spence333 writes:

Hi there, just to start Im not a gardener or even a budding one, but I
do want to keep a horsechestnut tree that has grown in my back garden
from a conker that I think some kid lobbed in my garden not too long
ago!!

It has grown (without my knowledge until last week when planning a new
garage) to about 4ft with about a 2 ft root. So I moved the tree to a
new spot and to do this I banged a stake into the ground and then
removed it creating a 2cm wide hole and then replanted the root into the
hole.

Now from doing this I think Ive done 3 things wrong ;
1. the tree isnt dormant (I found this out from a google search!)
2. the root curled a little when I pushed it into the hole.
3. Im not sure if the soil around the hole fell back into it when I
buried the root!

SO now, after 3 days, I have a particularly sad, droopy looking tree on
my hands

Does anyone have any experience of this? Is my tree a gonner? Will it
revive itself later in the year? Ive watered it twice and it gets alot
of sunshine each day but should I give it more water? Should I dig it
up and replant with compost??

Sounds like you brutalized that tree good!

1. Banging a stake into the ground? What kind of way is that to dig
a hole? Do you own a shovel? If not get one. Amongst other things
banging a stake into the ground will compact the soil. You want loose
soil around the roots.

2. How deep into the hole did you shove the tree. You must plant the
tree at the same depth you found it. Where the roots and stem meet
the plant grows in 2 different directions. That interface must be
right at ground level.

Dig it out, dig a hole as wide as the roots when spread out.
Mound the soil up under the bare root and spread the roots over the
mound with the roots leading downward. Then cover the roots with soil.
With a shovel, not a stake.

Now for the stake, put a stake in the ground near the tree and tie the
tree to the stake to hold it up until the roots take over.

3 days may not have killed it.


--
Dan Espen