I dug it out with a spade, under difficult conditions, so I got around 14" dia. root ball, 12" deep. Tree was about 3/4" dia. trunk 6" up. There were leaves on it because it was understory to larger trees. Most trees were in fall colors but this ones leaves were still green ( a warm fall too).

Hole was dug larger than root ball and placed in hole at native root ball level. We had about 3 weeks of mild (60's) weather. I kept it watered. The leaves didn't turn color, just shriveled up and fell off in the windy fall weather. Winter stem buds became visible last fall but seemed smaller than normal.

Early spring, frost still in ground in places but my yard is open to the sun and sandy loam, so thaws sooner than some areas, Tree dormant. I wanted to make sure that I had the root crown at proper level so I checked, thought it might be okay but it seemed like another inch or two would insure it was at least slightly above grade. I didn't want to wait another 3 years, then decide it was too deep and start over, so I used the spade to cut slightly larger circle and leveraged the root ball using a board, just high enough to tamp sod and soil under it. The root ball seemed dense and clayey. Ended up raising it about 3" so had to mound the dirt slightly to get the root flare covered. Mulched and watered.

I figured as early as I did this (spring), the tree would have time to make new roots before bud break and because of that, it was a good time to raise it. Was I wrong?

The buds were slow to swell and all other trees in the yard have 100% leafed out on all buds. Even the burr oak that I moved to another spot, at the same time as this sugar (the burr oak had been in place for the whole season, last year).

Sounds like I might have set this one back? Will it recover?

Oh, here's a pic of the lower trunk.

"So if a plant in a dry situation discontinues top growth and sets its winter stem buds in July or August, then that is when the roots will elongate as well. "

Interesting, so is that a good thing?

ETA: I mean is it good or bad to have the roots elongate so early in the season?

Thank you for posting this photo and story! I have a similar situation with two beech trees and was pondering the questions you have. Sorry I don't have much to add! I hope your tree makes it! It seems to be doing well, just can't support a lot of leaves with a smaller root system.

Something I just thought about. Being the tree came from a shaded location, it probably didn't have plentiful reserves to go on in the first place. The late move and spring raising I'm sure didn't help things. Bright side is there's leaves forming and in it's full sun location, should start making food for the roots. We picked up an inch of rain yesterday and I do water when dry. I don't even want to ask about fert. :)

Ryan, hope your beech come out okay too! I know nothing about beech so can't add anything about them either. How large are the trees?

Embo, Thanks! Your comments were most enlightening. It all makes sense and not the first transplanting I've done that needed patience more than anything. :-)

I did give the tree some miracle grow last week, before the leaves had opened, to give the limited roots something to help get the leaves out and healthy as fast as possible. Seems to have helped.

Didn't get much new growth this season. Leaves stayed green and healthy looking. Just have to wait and see next year. Hopefully roots will lengthen this fall and it will have better reserves to get started next spring. I really thought it would send out a second flush this summer. Will Sugars normally have a second flush of leaves? I know my black ash doesn't, even when pushed with fertilizer.

I really thought it would send out a second flush this summer.

==>> i wouldnt have thought this a tree thing ... flushes ..

of course it grew ... underground ... where all the roots were cut off .. i cant believe that was grown in a pot all its life ...

one other thought.. if you would have avoided instant gratification on height ... i bet a tree about half that size ... would have had less stresses ... and would probably have outgrown this one inside a year or 3 ... go smaller next time ...imo

ken

ken, Maybe I used the wrong term but to me, when I said a flush, I meant flush of leaves, it's something I've seen every year on my red and white oaks, first flush comes in spring and then, if conditions are good, another 'flush' of new leaves comes later in July. The oaks did this even the year they were first planted. And I know the roots grew but had hoped that if the tree was doing well, It would've sent out a few more leaves to take advantage of August sun. Like some of my other trees have done. So are you saying Acer saccharum doesn't do this kind of thing?

Tree came right from the woods.

The size of the tree was not an option, a friend let me dig one out over on his dads old place so I just took what he gave me. It really didn't appear that large of a tree at the time. :-)

I've dug Acer rubrum this size and have had them put on new growth, even the first year in the ground. This is my first experience with Sugar maple and it seems quite a different animal.

In my experience, young sugars are the most sensitive maple to transplanting. Results for me have been erratic. (I am growing in mostly heavy clay so I'm sure that doesn't help either.) Digging it out before leaf change most likely added extra stress. Some places I buy from do starch testing to make sure the trees are shutting down before digging. (Don't ask me to explain though...I am just repeating what I have been told.)

"Flush" is exactly the term everyone I know in the industry uses. Seems like more often than not, I don't get much of a second flush on sugars if at all. Or it is extremely erratic across the crop. I am upgrading my fertilization system this fall so I will see if this changes things next summer.

Did you experience a drought this last winter? Where I am we didn't have any plowable snow for almost two months from early January to the start of March. We also had a week of 50's with no precipitation in February. Then real winter temps returned with no snow cover to help insulate. If so, this could also be a factor on why your tree didn't leaf out better/fuller.

Thanks mntg! That's nice to know. I just happened to run across one of my friends that particular day and he offered that we go over to his dads old place and look for a tree. The larger trees were starting to turn colors but the smaller ones, under that canopy, weren't. I realized by the way the leaves wilted a few days after transplanting, without any color change, that I possibly could lose this tree. Then because I had trouble with some of my other trees getting planted too deep, I disturbed this one again last spring by raising it a few inches in the hole.

That starch testing is interesting. I've read that sugars can also be tested for sugar content of the sap so you can know how good of a syrup maker it will be. But this tree is just for a specimen in my back yard so nbd.

There was no sign of any new buds coming onto this tree after the spring buds leafed out. Makes me wonder if Sugar maples make their buds in the fall for the following year. I read some scientific explanation of how certain trees decide the year before, how much they will grow the following year but can't remember what it's called right now. There were some of the buds that swelled and then withered, like the tree decided what it could support and what it couldn't. I didn't fertilize it at all until early summer, thinking I could coax extra leaves to flush but not a sign of an extra bud or any further growth.

Your winter last season sound similar to what we had around Wadena. A fair amount of snow that disappeared by January.

One thing is for certain, this has been one tough tree. :-) The leaves are leathery and dark green. Hopefully it's all down hill from here.

Now if a squirrel with a sweet tooth doesn't take a liking to it, it should be okay.

Edit: I have a silty sand soil btw.

The tree did much better this spring. It had a couple of branch tips winter kill and one small branch die but leafed out beautifully compared to last year. Leaves are normal sized.

Great to see it doing so much better this year - gives me hope for some of this year's transplants. Thanks for sharing!

After waiting all winter for this, I just had to say something. ;o)

Looks OK, but it is very top-heavy.... :)

Yeah, its growing too well!

Lol

ha ha, just think of all the root food that thing is making with near 16 hrs. of daylight this time of year. :-)

Hopefully will get a glimpse of it's Fall color this time.

[Quote = mntreegrower]

' "Flush" is exactly the term everyone I know in the industry uses. Seems like more often than not, I don't get much of a second flush on sugars if at all. Or it is extremely erratic across the crop. I am upgrading my fertilization system this fall so I will see if this changes things next summer. '

Apparently, this thing don't flush a second time or maybe every once in a while. The tree is slowly hardening off for the season and winter buds are beginning to form.

Last year, I may have fertilized too late in the season, in hopes of getting more leaves out mid season, which may have caused some winter damage (more info [In this previous thread[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/sugar-maple-diagnosis-requested-dsvw-vd~5306548)). This year it was water only, And if those scanty leaves from a year ago feed the roots sufficiently for winter and the tree grew good this year, next year should be even better.

I'm glad I raised this tree up last year in the spring, even though it took a hit. It's worth it knowing for sure it's not lagging behind because it's too deep in the ground. There's a definite root crown showing and the tree seems solid in the ground. Rain has washed some of the dirt away so it's sticking out a little far but only about a half inch more than usual. Should be interesting crown when it's a larger tree. :-)