Problem with cherry tree

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, and to gardening. We've only had a garden for a short while, but have created a flourishing veggie garden. I've also planted a couple of trees, including a cherry tree.

I don't know the exact variety, I bought it from B&Q about 2 months ago. Its planted in chalky soil in a relatively sunny position. Initially it went quite well and started to develop good leaf growth, mainly at the tops and a small amount towards the base.

But about 3 weeks ago all the top leaves started to wilt and are now all dead. The leaves at the base are still healthy, but basically I have a completely bare tree apart from those! There never seemed to be any insects/holes/marks on the leaves.

I was told by a neighbour that cherry trees needed a lot of water, so kept it well watered during the dry period, but have since been told this can cause fungal growth on the roots!

Any help appreciated!

 

I expect its struggling with the dry weather.

The original roots will only have been in the "rootball" that was in the pot, and they won't have grown much, if at all, into the surrounding soil in the last couple of weeks.

As you say you are new to gardening I'll tell you how I would do it, and then see what you think.

I would want to achieve two things: to make sure that the original rootball was kept moist so that the existing roots didn't struggle, and to encourage the roots to grow downwards, where they will find water in the future.

That would start with preparation of the planting hole. I would dig a hole (to the depth of the pot), and then loosen the soil under that hole for 6" to 9" deeper, so the new roots could easily grow down into it. (Or I would take the soil out and replace it with something better if the sub-soil was really bad). I would add some organic material (compost, rotted manure, peat-like material, etc), and some bonemeal to help establish the new roots.

I would then knock a stake in to secure the tree to.

(By the by, don't leave planting holes "Prepared" like that in Winter - the cold weather gets into the soil in the bottom of the hole, and the mound of soil next to it, so everything is cold when you then plant the tree. Fill the "prepared" hole back in until you are ready to plant)

Next I would knock the plant out of its pot and put a 2' or 3' length of 2"-diameter perforated drainage pipe around the base of rootball (turned up at one end so that it is at the surface), then backfill with the original topsoil, tread it down to make sure there are no air-pockets and the roots are "firm", and use a tree-tie to secure the tree to the stake.

It is CRITICAL that the tree is not planted any deeper than it was in the pot - so the "soil level" in the pot should be flush with the soil level after planting (this is probably the single biggest cause of newly planted trees dying)

I then put a layer of "mulch" around the base. In my case rotted manure, but bark chippings, or even some weed suppressing membrane will do. That stops the grass growing, and competing with the tree, and helps keep the moisture in.

I don't expect you did all of that! but if (for example) you did none of that then the tree will probably not get away quickly, nor well, or possibly even not at all :(

When I water I want to make sure that the original rootball is kept damp, but I also want to encourage the plant to grow roots downwards.

If you water little-and-often then the water will not penetrate very far, so new roots will grow near the surface, and that area will dry out during the day :(

So don't water every day ...

If you soak the plant then the water left near the surface will still dry out, but the water will also have soaked in and will be available to the plant lower down for several days. Also, if you water "infrequently" the surface will dry out, and the plant won't grow roots there.

I give my newly planted trees a watering once a week through the Summer, and if it has been dry then twice a week. (In East Anglia we have had almost no rain since beginning of March, so I'm already in twice-a-week watering mode). I give each tree 2 - 3 gallons / 10-15 Litres per watering**. For new trees I pour this close to the trunk so that the original rootball is kept moist; some of it also runs into the perforated-pipe, and down around the rootball, that's fine, but most of it is into the rootball. Later on I only water via the perforated pipe so that the water only goes down around the base of the rootball to encourage the roots to grown downwards and outwards.

**EDIT: Actually I think it may be more than that. More won't hurt, so long as it is not too foten

If you have been watering little-and-often switch to 10-15 litres mid week and again at the weekend. Do it only at weekends if you have good rainfall during the week (but do do it anyway throughout the Summer and next year)

Cross fingers! the plant should be OK, but if not go back to the garden centre for a refund. If you've looked after it properly they will most probably have a replacement-guarantee.

 

Kristen thanks for the reply, some great advice!

When I dug the hole I did fill with compost first, but prob only to a depth of about 3 inches. I didn't put any bonemeal in (news to me!), or the watering hose.

My biggest mistake may also to have not mulched to top, so there is grass all around the tree. Is it worth digging the tree out and starting again do you think?

Bruce

 

I wouldn't dig it up again, the disturbance and replanting will set it back further I think.

Not surprised you don't have drainage pipe or bonemeal, neither are important (although I think the pipe does make watering easier, but I have dozens of trees to water, so probably less important if you only have one or two - although it does get the water "under" the plant, which i think helps.)

The 3" is enough - it will mean that there is some loose soil under the plant. (Deeper would be better ... next time :thumb

Having grass around the tree means that the grass is competing for moisture (and nutrients) That might be stopping the water getting down effectively, depending how much water you are putting on - if you chuck a bucket or two on that should soak through the grass, if you only put a little on it won't get any further than the grass).

You could dig the top couple of inches of turf off, and just put it back upside-down which should kill of the grass (some might regrow around the edges) and it will also provide some fibrous "loam" as it rots down. You could then cover the "loam" with a mulch of something.

Or remove the turf, put some weed membrane down, and then some bark or similar on top.

I don't think any of those things sounds enough to make the tree unhappy.

Either the rootball is not getting enough water, and it has dried out (can you push a finger in far enough to check? or make a little hole with a trowel just at the edge of the rootball to check how dry/wet it is?)

Or, possibly, the planting hole is not letting the water get away, so the water you are providing means the plant is "standing in water". Again, a small exploratory hole alongside the rootball should answer that.

Bottom line is that the plant is stressed. If there is nothing fundamentally wrong it will survive, and grow away again, although some branches may die in the process. So what we need to do is make sure the watering is OK, and then cross-fingers.