Hi there; We just planted 3 large Cercidiphyllum japonicum (70mm cal) in our garden last fall... they were brought up from Specimen Trees on the coast, and planted professionally. They fared well over the winter and have leafed out well this spring. But, two out of three have begun to look 'wilted', and yesterday I noticed that leaves have begun to fall off. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the ends of some leaves on the tree are a little 'crispy', and now I'm wondering if they have been overwatered? Our irrigation system is still not complete, so we have been watering by hand mostly, although one tree has been getting water from the lawn sprinkers (every other day). This is one of the wilty trees. The other two have been hand watered a similar amount, probably ever 4-5 days, yet one is wilty and one is not. Both of these are planted in a bed with adjacent sod and concrete patio. I don't want to lose these gorgeous trees and need to better understand how much water is enough and how much is too much. I realize these trees will be fairly drought tolerant once they are established, but what about their first year of growth? I'd sure appreciate some input from experts out there :) This is my first post here. Thanks so much, Lesley-Anne Evans
Check inside original rootballs for unexpected drying. Soil textural differences can result in drying out despite watering in new planting site. This is common yet often catches the uninitiated by surprise. If instead too wet this should become apparent during same inspection operation. Poke around inside the soil to see, digging out small holes if you have to. Beware of outside inch or two being moist while rest is actually dust.
Thanks for your help... I'll do a little digging around and see what I find. I just don't want to misinterpret the wilting as something that may just be transplant shock... or overwatering... or underwatering. You've helped me so far, so thanks!
