Before pic. This was in late April. I think. Very late for leaving out here.

i see no reason to not keep hope alive .. especially in your area.. were you wont have to worry about a bad winter or some such ..

keep it properly watered ... and dont worry about it ..

and dont love it to death ...

it is growing a root mass.. and as long as it has leaves to store energy in those roots ... you are on the plus side ...

im not one for ferting trees .. but a little of this or that should be ok ... and it doesnt have to be captain jupiters expensive mysterious goo from ork to be of value ... dont get caught up in hypermarketing nonsense and pay triple or some such ....

check out the link for some basic info: https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

ken

It's always good to have hope. And I wish you luck. But many years of growing and caring for a lot of JM's has lead me to the conclusion that few that look like this are able to develop into good looking, long lived trees.

Maybe yours will prove to be the exception.

Thank you both for the hopeful, and pragmatic replies. Ken, all I plan to add is an occasional, light bit of acidic fertilizer. Perhaps there’s a better way to mulch around it to add acid? I will google :) Gardengal, there in the PNW, I can only dream about such JPs as you have. It helps to be prepared for it’s probable demise. Meantime, I’ll give it lots of water, but won’t love it to death. :)

and dont love it to death ...

==>>> that is what ii said in the prior post ...

are you hedging on it??? ... lol ...

have a quality soil test done.. and then amend your soil properly IF ... key word there!!! ... IF ... your tree needs such ...

no guessing.. no working on rumors .. etc ...

i never heard of JMs needing acid .. so im wondering why you are thinking this ...

and looking deeper into your pic. with all those big trees.. i wonder who is thinking they need fert.. and feeding and manipulating pH for them.. and im sure the answer is nobody.. so i am wondering why you think your tree is any different that the other local trees.. short of the transplant of course ...

soooo.. i sum it up.. wtih trying to kill it with too much love ..

and personally .. i NEVER fert trees in mother earth ...so i wouldnt even do that ... subject to a little of this or that .. which isnt necessary ... isnt really going to hurt anything... [i have 5 acres.. and if i started fert'g everything.. i wouldnt have money to buy more plants .. lol]

in summation counselor ... leaves convert sunshine into energy.. and as long as there are leaves doing such ... they are storing it in the roots for next year .. and if they store enough to bud out in spring.. you should be on your way ...

hope spring eternal ... [Alexander pope ... who knew ... learn something new each day.. and im pretty sure im not dead ... lol ]

ken