Doesn't look good. I wonder if the root ball got dried out.

Yes, apparently it got dried out or something else prevented it from keeping its foliage hydrated. If you plant another tree later be sure to mulch after planting.

http://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/Planting-fact-sheet.pdf

Thats a bit severe. Either root damage when it was dug or lack of water. How much rain or water have you been giving it?

It was in a pot so likely wasn't freshly dug and it had remained green at the retailer. Once planted, the leaves went crispy...it probably dried out, either just prior to planting or sometime since.

Was it at any point left out in the hot sun while still in a container? Normally that shouldn't be a problem, but sometimes, if there is insufficient water in the container and it is left in the scorching heat, the sun will heat up the black plastic pot and cook the roots.

Thank you all for your feedback. We planted it the day we purchased it from the nursery. The root ball wasn't dried out when we planted it, and I have watered it at least once every 5 days since we haven't had any rain lately. Except today, we are getting the remnants from Hurricane Patricia and many streets, businesses, and homes are already flooding from the rain all day.

I will be sure to contact the nursery tomorrow. I'm sure they have a guarantee on their trees for so many days. I just don't understand what happened. My husband is a wonderful gardener, and we have 5 other trees we planted ourselves that are really thriving. What a bummer.

According to the latest research, trees in containers have developed a dependence on frequent watering in the nursery. That dependence is still there for a couple of months after planting in the yard. The watering should be twice during planting, then 2 times a day for 2 weeks, once a day for one month, and every other day to the end of the season. Next year, at least once a week unless one inch of rain fell that week. By the end of the second year, the tree's roots should have grown enough be able to live without supplemental water.

scrape the bark on the trunk to see if there is any green. Start at the bottom and move up as you find green. If it green all the way to the branches, give it a week and check again. Ive had this happen on a new tree. Next year it did fine.

"According to the latest research, trees in containers have developed a dependence on frequent watering in the nursery."

I think it would be more accurate to say that the trees may not have developed a root structure capable of supplying sufficient moisture once the tree is planted and watered infrequently. Potting medium issues (including differences in potting medium and soil) can also add to this problem. Stating as Online Seminars did sounds to me like something someone made up to get a research grant from some organization unfamiliar with the situation (but maybe it's just the way I'm reading it).

I scraped the bark... All green. And all the branches are green except on some about half of the branch is dead at the end. So I need to cut off the dead parts to the green? Or just a leave it and keep watering?

I would leave it as is unless you are completely sure what parts are dead. If you are 100% sure some part is dead, keeping it will not be beneficial. If there's a question, leave it until next spring.

The watering should be twice during planting, then 2 times a day for 2
weeks, once a day for one month, and every other day to the end of the
season

How do you know that this particular situation calls for this combination, regardless of variations in weather and other factors?

OP, did you cover the tree with a tarp or something on the way home?

Planting a Tree or Shrub

Review above link, especially section 12.

Sam_md, no we did not. We are 20 minutes from the nursery where we purchased it.

Sam-md may be on point. If you were on highways and going 65-75, 20 minutes is plenty of time to windburn leaves. Tarping the top really helps especially between 11am to 2pm. More water after planting may have been helpful. Since you still have green under the bark you may just lose a years worth of growth unless you return it soon.

Highest speed was 55mph and I watered significantly after planting, even during planting when adding dirt back into hole. The only thing I can see where we went wrong is by using other dirt (because the we had clay-like dirt while digging) and we didn't mulch well enough.

Those soil differences are important, but not at this immediate stage, I don't think. I believe Sam nailed it-you've got wind-burned foliage from twenty minutes at highway speed. That's a cinch IMO. I do believe you've got plenty of soil moisture now, no!

+oM

Allyson, most people aren't aware of the injury caused by a drive in an open vehicle. I'd suspect that most of the damage is temperary, with your tree responding with a flush of new growth sooner than later.

In your climate, that could happen yet this fall, which could actually cause problems for your newly planted tree. Trees (plants in general) can't do everything at one time. Yours will go into leaf making mode and won't be able to expend energy resources on creating a new root system. Nor will it be able to store any carbon resources, which is what it really wants to do in the fall.

I strongly urge you to moniter the soil system for moisture content rather than following a calender schedule. Do not be tempted to fertilize your tree in the very misguided theory that you should make it grow faster. It's very important that your tree grows at its own rate, not an accelerated speed.

Rake away the big clods of soil and add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch in a large swath around the tree, but never touching the trunk. Pine straw would be a readily available in your location....just a suggestion.

Mulches of organic matter create an environment that both tree roots and essential soil biota thrive in.

By the way, I have hard, red clay soil and everything we've ever planted goes in without amendments of any kind. There's never been a plant that hasn't thrived.

if they will replace it ... get a replacement ...

if they hesitate.. offer to go smaller ... so it might fit in your vehicle ....

if not.. take a blue plastic tarp and some rope or twine ...... and wrap that sucker up .. for transport ... and take the back roads and keep the speed down ...

i am surprised the seller couldnt wrap the canopy for you ...

all that said.. life is in the buds.... what are they looking like ... unless they go all black and squishy ... then they should leaf out in spring ... presuming the root mass is alive ...

i have had a few trees .. and conifers ... drop every leaf at transplant or after the first winter .... ... most can releaf.. if you water the roots properly ...

ken

Agree drive home made it very sad and nursery should have told customer. Maybe it will recover next year.

When I worked at a nursery, we wouldn't let a customer drive out of the lot improperly loaded.

Your tree should get new leaves in the Spring. No guarantees though. They could sprout now and then freeze bad at the first frost.

When I loaded my truck with trees all the rootballs were up against the cab and all the trees were lying down under a tarp. I put a net over the tarp to keep the tarp from flapping in the wind and damaging the trees.

"Those soil differences are important, but not at this immediate stage, I don't think."

Difference in potting medium and soil can be responsible for quickly drying out a rootball or even possibly keeping one soaking wet. Improper drainage is not something that requires any significant amount of time to be problematic. I am not suggesting that this is the problem in this case, but merely explaining why differences in potting medium and soil can be critical.

Good call Sam. It's probably not so much the 'wind burn' as it is the wind shear on the petioles of the leaves during the drive.

Yeah, you're right Brandon. Such anomalies can indeed manifest quickly. Still do not at all think that's the case here-we have a smoking gun right before our eyes-but yeah.

+oM

Allyson Hebert, was the maple standing up in the back of the truck when you took it home? Even lying down uncovered can do damage at 55 mph unless it's wrapped, covered, and tied down.

Mike

Thanks you guys! I did a lot of research before planting, but apparently not enough! I really appreciate your comments and you taking the time to share your knowledge. I called the nursery and they want me to take a piece of a branch in so they can see what's going on.

So... The nursery said I basically smothered the tree. The 1/4 inch of dirt I had on the top of the root ball was enough to smother it in a week. Most of the tree is still alive. They suggested I take it out, lift it to sit higher, and watch it for 6 weeks. In that time it should drop the leaves it has now and start to regrow some new leaves. If not, I will have to pull it out.

The nursery is full of BS. You can tell them I said so. ;-)

1/4"?!! Branch?!!......... C'mon.

It was windburned in transit Period

Mike

I think that nonsense. True-planting trees too deeply is a huge issue and far too commonplace, but again, the bad results of doing so manifest slowly. I'm talking years. Those guys gave you a bum steer. Incidentally Allyson-don't know if I've mentioned this already or not-but in balled and burlapped stock, and even in some containerized, the "top of the rootball" is not a true guide to planting depth. Let's take the B&B case: The trees are initially grown in rows in a nursery field somewhere. Periodically, cultivating equipment is run down between the rows to control weeds. In the process, soil gets heaped up and around the trees. Then later, when they are dug, what is now a tree with potentially quite a bit of soil heaped up around it is taken as "the height it grew at in the nursery". But of course, this is not so, the soil having been placed there via this cultivation. We don't plant all that many B&B trees these days, but back when we did, it was commonplace to have to shave a great deal of soil off the top of the ball to find the root flare. I still remember one large honeylocust-the root flare was buried more than a foot down into the top of the ball! So that is no guide at all. One simply must find that swollen area of root flare, taking care to not confuse the graft union-yet another are of swollen tissue-for this root flare. That, of course, on grafted trees only.

In any case, what those guys told you is surely rubbish, probably intended to cover up the fact that they didn't know or care enough to insure that each customer takes their trees home well-protected for the trip.

+om

That's what I figured. We have done business with this nursery for years but never for larger trees... The guy was in such a rush when we purchased it that nothing was explained to us. And we thought we knew enough to plant this tree. Lol. Needless to say, if we have to purchase another one... We will not be buying from them, and we will make sure to bring a tarp.

Yep, tell them that you've had multiple arborists tell you that their suggestion is completely without merit. Try to "climb the latter a little" and talk to the owner. Exactly as Tom said, many nursery workers, that should know what they are doing, really don't. But, in this case, I'm not sure if they were misinformed or just trying to buffalo their way out of any blame.

It can happen if you cover the rootball with a clay type native soil. The native soil on top dries out and turns to a shell, so when you water the tree the water just beads up and runs off. It never seeps deep down into the rootball.

Definitely not the case here.

i actually have a question.. I planted a maple sugar tree in november and i don't know if I'm doing it right. It has no branches really yet or let alone leafs so i can't do any tests people suggest. I just want to know if its getting enough water or too much? Can anyone help me?

Hi Tracey, where are you located? Unless your area is in drought, winter precipitation should be adequate.