I planted a sugar maple in the Spring, 2015. It has done really well and I have watered it faithfully during this very hot summer. Last week it looked fine. It had green leaves. Yesterday I walked outside and I was in shock. The leaves are dead. It's like it happened overnight. I'm just sick. Do you think it will come back out or what is wrong? It's planted in full sun and was planted to tree soil bought from walmart.
A picture might help diagnose the problem. It sounds like you dug a hole, put the tree in and back filled with the soil you purchased. If that soil is lighter than the surrounding soil, water wont easily move across that barrier. In other words, if the native soil isn't very free draining you may have made a bowl for the tree to sit in. Just an idea, because young sugar maples are very sensitive to having wet roots. The thing is that over- and under-watering look quite similar. In any case stop watering now, it may yet put out some buds although it's getting pretty late in the year. Also possible that it might come back next spring if the branches don't get dry and brittle. Good luck with it, -E
I did put the tree in the soil I purchased. I guess I messed up. Plus I have been watering it with a 2 gallon bucket. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the bucket and would fill it up with water and the hole allowed it to "slowly" drip into the soil. I didn't know you could overwater it. I feel I may have. But I only watered it maybe once or twice a week. Not everyday. I want so bad for this tree to survive. I will try to post a photo but I'm new to this forum and don't know how yet. I'll figure it out. The leaves are dead.
Look and see if the tree is making buds where the current leaf stalks (petioles) push out. If not, try the scratch test: with your fingernail or a sharp blade lightly scratch a peripheral branch, one that had leaves. If the area just under the outer bark (cambium) is green then it's alive and you're in with a chance for next year (or later this year). If it's brown and separates easily from the wood underneath, that branch is dead.
I did scratch it just lightly and it's green on the inside. I hope it survives. I've got my fingers crossed. I messed up by not mixing the dirt. And I have a feeling I may have watered it to much. I wish I had found this site before I planted it. I would have known how to properly plant and water. I"m learning the hard way.
Let's hope it comes back next spring. Here's a sheet that may be useful for you about establishing trees in the landscape, from the inimitable Dr. Chalker-Scott: http://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/fact-sheets/ There's lots of interesting material on her site. I don't agree with all of it under all circumstances -- for example building berms around newly planted trees, or not lightening the soil at all for new planting would be a great way to kill trees where I live -- but she's got lots of great stuff there, and of course is an expert unlike myself! Good luck with it.
Walmart soil doesn't help either. Probably full of CAFO toxic sludge and other disgusting additives, best to get organic soil that was mulched or produced by people who aren't a commercial entity and only care about money (like awful walmart).
