Can you post pictures so we'll have a better understanding of what you are dealing with?

anyone know if these are grafted stock????

if grafted.. then they might be suckers ... need a pic for that ...

anyway.. my first call would be to the seller .... if you bought them and told the seller what your goals were.. and he did not honor such.. back they would go for me ...

ken

Pix.

Dan

OK, pics of all three tomorrow. My wife actually communicated with the nursery but it was pretty obvious the goal was large canopy shade trees. I don't believe they are grafted.

Here are pics of all three trees. The first two look wrong to me and the last is what I wanted/expected. I don't like the fork halfway up on the second tree either. It looks like a likely failure point when mature. On the 3rd tree you can see where new shoots have been pruned at the bottom of the tree promoting what I would consider correct growth. You can actually see the tree that inspired this purchase in the 3rd photo. It is the largest/farthest tree at 2:00 directly behind the utility panel on the far side of the street behind that bush. Any suggestions appreciated

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More info... I found out from my wife the 2 trees in the back (first 2) were $55 in 15 gal pots and the one in front (3rd tree) was supposed to be $150 in a 25 gal pot but we got it for $55 because they didn't have 3 of the 15s. The first 2 look wrong to me regardless of what pot they were in and I'm thinking pony up the $200 to trade in the first 2 for 2 more like the 3rd.

I agree with you that the forms of the trees in pictures 1 & 2 are just pitiful (especially the first one). The foliage of the second one looks brown. All three are staked improperly. The job is not something I would accept.

Is the dirt used to fill back in around the rootballs the same as what was dug out, or did they use something else? It almost looks like potting soil in the picture.

How deeply are they planted. It looks like they are possibly too deep.

Have you spoken to the nursery about all this? What did they say? What was your initial discussion/agreement with the nursery?

Brandon, I was not there when it was done but I believe it was a mixture of potting soil and the original dirt which is mostly sand here in Tucson.

I think the depth is OK. Least of my worries.

I have not spoken to them yet and am trying to figure out what I want if I do. Either the trees replaced with ones like #3.

Or... can I just prune off the shoots and will they eventually turn into trees like #3. I don't like the branch halfway up #2 either. About the time it gets big enough to crush my porch is when it will break off.

I did not have any initial discussion with the nursery. The wife and I decided what trees we wanted where and she took it from there.

Now that I have a consensus they don't look right the question is can they be fixed (my preference) or do they need to be replaced which I will do if that is what is needed. I guess I need a Carob tree expert if pruning them is different than other trees.

Any help appreciated. You can probably tell this is not my forte.

Almost anything can be fixed/corrected/whatever, but this situation is far from what I would expect from a professional nursery, and, if it were me, I'd tell them to come get their trees (at least the first two) and I give me my money back. If you pay for something, that's what you should get, not something that might could be made into what you paid for with lots of work. The first two plants are sub-par in my opinion. If you feel like you paid for sub-par plants and are willing to accept that, then that's up to you.

The other thing that would worry me is what can't be seen. The plants are clearly planted improperly and staked improperly. This is the work of someone that didn't know what they were doing. So, what if they left the burlap (or worse yet, some artificial burlap) in place? If they were potted, what kind of mess did they leave the root system in? Even if you do loose a few years but manage to get the trees in decent form above ground, are they going to flourish long-term when planted in half potting soil (a huge no-no) or possibly with a potbound root system?

If you decide to keep these, I guess we can try to give you some guidance about pruning, but I'm not sure that's the best solution. Your trees don't require different techniques than other trees, but pruning may be the least of your problems.

In a way, I feel like I'm giving you a one-sided (negative) review of the situation, but the more I look at what you've got and think about it, the more I think you've been ripped off. Maybe someone can give you another opinion with a more optimistic viewpoint.

I can't believe its a professional job either. That is: it is closer to being a joke than professional.

Tell them in no uncertain terms to come get them and give you your money back or you'll call BBB, CraigsList, the newspaper, TV stations, radio, blimp rental companies - anyone who will want to know that Nursery X isn't worth a d*mn. If it were me, I'd tell them if they aren't coming back, I'd rip them out of the ground and you don't want to know what orifice they'll end up in. Then take your money elsewhere and consume someone else's product.

No way that's acceptable. Not even close.

[/rant]

Dan

Brandon and Dan, thanks for the advice. Dan, don't feel like you have to hold back. It's OK to really let me know how you feel. Now I need to schedule time that the wife and I can meet at the nursery during operating hours. I will let you know if I end up replanting the existing trees in an "orifice". Thanks again!

ROFL. Yeah, I'm thinking about checking with Dan to see if he can head up my public relations department. (-;

Did I frame the issue adequately or not? ;o)

Dan

Dan, I was just making a comment in appreciation for your frankness. Being ignorant of this entire subject your to the point answer was exactly what I needed, as was Brandon's. I wouldn't want you to say they were correct if they were not. You were fairly clear. Now I know. Thanks again.

coop, I'm just giving brandon a hard time. Sorry for any confusion.

My family would have to tolerate some sort of voice and appropriate gesticulation to go with the rant as well, dagnabbit!

Regards,

Dan

Gesticulation!!! Holy thesaurus Batman... this is a family forum!!!

I finally had a conversation with the nursery. I exchanged the 2 "forked" trees for ones like #3. I was refunded for the trees and cost of installation. #3 type trees were a little more but we got the first one for 1/3 of the retail cost. If that were not the case I probably would have gone for the refund and taken my money to another nursery. This time I picked them out. Here's hoping they don't screw up the installation. Thanks for all the good advice.