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| Readers plum tree with dieback |
Q. Attached are some photos of my semi-dwarf plum we just
planted in September. The left side of the tree seems to be dying.
The leaves are all browning. We have it on a drip system along with a few
other trees and shrubs which are all doing fine. We water about 15
minutes each day. I sent these photos to the nursery and they said it’s
transplant shock and it should be fine. What is your opinion?
transplant shock. Trees that large, when transplanted, go through a lot of
shock which is true. It is always best to buy the smallest container size
possible as it will catch up and surpass a larger tree due to a lesser degree
of “transplant shock”.
shock is when a plant has to “reorganize” and “renew” its root system as it leaves
a container in a protected environment like a nursery and is put into a
different, usually harsher environment. Up to and from an
system grows differently in a container than it does in the ground. When
growing in a container, roots gather where there is the best water/air/nutrient
environment; usually at the bottom and sides of the container.
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| First of all this is not my picture. I borrowed it from Washington State University (https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/archive /2011/03/23/plant-containers-does-size-really-matter.aspx) but it does demonstrate how roots grow in containers nicely. |
Once in
the ground, the best environment for roots shifts and is nearer the soil
surface. This results in a “reorganization” of the roots as it adjusts to this totally
new soil environment. During this shift new roots grow near the soil surface and
older roots deeper in the soil die resulting in “transplant shock”. The degree
of transplant shock results from the condition of the plant going into the
ground as well as how it was handled at planting time.
to your tree and how it was handled at planting. Hopefully you dug the hole
three to five times wider than the container. It did not have to be deep, just
deep enough for the roots to be planted below the soil level.
hopefully, you amended the soil going into the hole with lots of compost and a
starter fertilizer to mix in the backfill. The plant should be planted the same
depth as it was in the container, no deeper and staked to keep the roots
immobilized.
picture you sent the tree appears to be planted fairly deeply but it is hard to
gauge from a picture. If planted too deeply it can kill or damage the tree.
tree must be staked to prevent movement in the wind during the first complete
growing season. Sometimes on larger trees that have more severe “transplant
shock” it may require a second season. The stake should prevent the movement of
the roots in the soil, not necessarily top movement. This is extremely
important on container trees especially older container trees.
think 15 minutes is enough time for irrigation unless during that 15 minutes
you are giving the tree at least ten or maybe 15 gallons each time.
every day watering is not necessary and may cause a problem similar to what you
are seeing. Every day watering is fine in containers but once in the soil there
is alot more soil available to hold water so every other day or even every
three days is probably adequate during the summer. Planting in the fall you
probably will get by watering twice a week.
the tree will do much better with a thick layer of mulch around the tree
extending about three feet from the trunk in all directions but keeping the
mulch six inches away from the trunk to prevent the trunk from rotting.