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PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 1:10 am 
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Location: Dallas,TX
I need some input on this one, Ent & other tree huggers. I moved into a new house a few months ago with a 12 foot ornamental plum tree in the front yard, which I was told had been planted last year. That red foliage is pretty, but it was easy to tell it had been very badly planted and was suffering. The poor thing was buried way too low in the ground, and there was a raised bed around it so that had to go.

So last week, I tore out the raised bed, transplanted all the plants, brought the soil down to a grade even with the rest of the yard (which was 9 full inches!!! :roll: ), gave it a nice blanket of mulch...and by morning the tree had settled at a 45 degree angle! I looked into the hole and could see girdling roots and no roots at all growing out on the side the tree was leaning away from...no surprise since there were no roots to hold it up! Poor tree! :cry:

Now I have to decide what to do with this tree. I decided staking it was an option but it leans over SO far I have to wonder whether this would be seriously damaging to the bark and a gigantic waste of time. Option two is to get some help and dig it out, move it over 3 feet and completely replant it. The problem is that I'm afraid I'll just get the same thing in a new place, which is a silly-looking leaning ornamental plum tree.

My inclination is to ditch the plum tree and get a pretty oak or maple to plant instead. I have an older tree on the other side of the front that is ailing from mistletoe & feet drowned in liriope! (Yes, I plan to dig it out when I actually have time). What do you all have to say? I'd appreciate input. THANKS!
Kathe :D


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 7:37 am 
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Honestly, in my area of influence, that tree would be compost-bait. Clearly, when purchased no one examined the root structure, so when they got it home and found it had a terrible root structure for supporting itself they 'made up for it' by burying it extra deep in the misguided belief that this would help somehow.

To make this a viable tree, it would deifinintely have to be replanted after getting those girdling roots cut back. With such a poor root ball it would likely need some propper staking for a couple of seasons (but no more) and soem TLC by way of the sick tree treatment would give it a fighting chance.

All depends upon how much that particular tree is worth to you. Me, I'd likely reduce it to compost and mulch, then plant a Shatung Maple, Burr Oak, or Texas Ash tree there.

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Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.


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 Post subject: Plum Tree Passing
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 1:51 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
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Location: Dallas,TX
I doubt these folks even looked at the tree's root ball. It didn't look like they had even touched the root ball at all, just plunked it into the ground. And I know they couldn't have understood how bad building up a bed around it was and done that...such a waste.

Okay, then we're in agreement. I just hate to trash any kind of plant, especially a tree. But when I think of any of those alternative trees growing there instead of this mess, it looks just useless. I'll be pulling it out of the ground (it won't be hard) and putting in a Shantung maple, I think. I appreciate the input.

Kathe


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