Nice. On your coffee trees, make sure the ties are loose enough that the trees can sway some to develop stronger root systems so you can remove the supports in a year or two. Those coffee trees are really leggy. Low-down leaves on one of my coffee trees:

Yeah I read a bunch of stuff about supporting the trees. I’ve got it set up nice and will be taking them off next year. Yeah they are very leggy. I am guessing they were all growing in a very tight area over the years. Now they have plenty of room to take off !

after out harsh 7a Philadelphia winter.

==>> this MI boy chuckles at z7 being harsh.. what happened .. did you have to pull out your windbreaker in january .. lol ..

my ground freezes.. and we hover near zero for weeks on end .. thats harsh .. z7 isnt ..

sure.. you had an event ... so what .. lol ... they roll thru every decade or so ... its the circle of life ...

see link below ... reread section one ... you are moving out of prime planting time ... you can buy potted stock anytime.. but hold it over until the next proper planting time ... many of the hardcore.. laugh at the hundred pots we have to plant in fall ...

and to make it a lot easier.. buy smaller.. not only can you buy more plants .. but smaller plants get established faster. and usually outgrow the larger instant gratification plants ... inside a few years ...

glad you found us .. and may FB rot in hell ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Two of my very favorite native trees, James. My Espresso coffeetree is just waking up - buds are finally visible and beginning to show a little green. I have two of the Nyssa sylvatica, one a species tree and one ‘Autumn Cascade’. Good luck with yours, they look off to a good start!

Nice trees! Interesting take on the site design acting as a filter for people who really value the information here, never thought of it that way. This is by far the worst designed forum I've ever used, but it's also one of the best and most helpful online communities out there imo. I think you may be on to something...

This is by far the worst designed forum I've ever used, but it's also one of the best and most helpful online communities out there imo.

==>> probably because it was one of the first ... and a lot of us have been here from way back ... one might suggest we made it what it is ... we are gardeners.. not a social group ... we have no vested interest is anything but sharing knowledge ... and in my case... a few jokes.. lol ...

never forget.. one of the prime reasons for adults to garden.. is to have a reason to play in the dirt .. lol ... yeah yeah.. soil.. and dirt is what is all over you and the house after you are done playing in the soil ...

now go do the right thing,.. dig a hole.. we'll worry about filling it later ... lol

ken

Good job James!

Don't forget to wood mulch that bare soil. Keeps roots cooler and retains moisture longer.

And no fert until until the tree can stand on it's own. Excessive growth makes for a heavy crown. And only then if a soil test says it needs something.

Stay in touch with the requisite updates :-)

Hope the coffeetrees’ roots were in good shape, you said they were at the nursery for years. I have made the mistake of buying stuff that has “been there a while”. Stunted trees/ dying trees is what I’ve ended up with

Only time will tell ! I figured I’d give it a shot !

"I was nervous about the wildfire and dieback especially after out harsh 7a Philadelphia winter."

You don't need to be. You must not have been gardening in 2013 if you thought the last winter was harsh.

I worry about those coffee trees though. If the roots are extremely knotted you are setting up disappointment, possibly years down the road.

@david there is a whole forum conversation chat on here about wildfire dieback in a similar zone, hence why I said that for that specific tree. What would make you think the roots are knotted up ?

Well James, to make things clear, checking for root problems before placing the tree in the ground is pretty much standard procedure for just about any potted tree, especially if one has reason to believe that the trees may have been in the pots for quite some time. And I just assumed you had done that.

Trees that are planted in the field and dug before delivery (B&B) are less likely to have root problems unless they have been previously potted too long then planted in the field then dug again and B&B.

And from what I am reading, KCT are more likely to have problems because of this?

imo: Now is the time to check for that even if it means digging them up again.

The espresso coffee trees were dug out of a field before delivery. If trees that big are sold in pots I’d love to see the process. David specifically mentioned Kentucky coffee trees and root knotting which I don’t understand. The black gums however were grown in pots. Air pots to be exact. Grown by a great tree guy local to me. Those roots were in excellent condition.