Re-establishing Improperly Planted Trees

Frax

Frax

Participating member
Location
Expat now in Chapel Hill, NC by way of Calgary, Al
Deep planting of trees is a real problem in our area. I'd say 90 percent of trees dead under five years old that we remove are dead for this reason wholy or partly.
I am occasionally asked if a young tree that is not establishing but not dead yet either, maybe less than three years in the ground can be re-dug and replanted with any chance of success. Grade could be lowered in some but not all cases. Chances of success either way?
I have no idea. Does anyone here have any idea?
 
after setting back out. Hole is 3x larger, and will be expanded by strokes of the pick fracturing beyond. I'll be in the area tomorrow; will try to snap an afterafter pic.

Best done in fall here; 3 years is getting to be the max for comfort generally here in zone 7.5 but probly ok up by you. Protocol is, replant if soil removal to change grade will not be successful due to slope, depth, root mass high up, species, etc., depending on value of plant, value of time, etc.
 

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Few years ago uncovered rootballs and removed girdling roots on 20 or so Tulip trees, all struggling terribley.
Drove by them the other day and they looked as happy as can be.
I tend to just expose stem and original root ball height because replanting can just set them further back.

All the best!
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Like treepedo dude says, results can be dramatic. No data on success rate; too many variables. Odds would be poor on replanting a well-established tree, unless more work went into it than it was worth.

replanted within 2 years, I'd say the rate is 94.75%

re level of attention, it was one task of several all done on the clock, the key to contracting success imo. One of my favorite clients who owns one of my favorite trees, a 40+" white oak <20" from their house.
 
I got one just like that in Ancaster plus with nesting Owls.
Glad they called me in to talk them out of redoing gravel drive with asphalt.

Days like that is why this life is good.
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Replanting a tree less than 3 years in the ground should not be a problem. The key is the care you give it after its planted. Watering is critical.
 
Here's one after 10 months in the ground, no hope for this one. No idea how long it was in the container though other than way to long.
 

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Eric, how much branch mass can be removed at a time on a young tree like that--30-50%?

Couldn't 30-50% of the most deranged roots be removed? That might leave a nice root system. if there is circling on the outside--hard to see in pic--dig wider to straighten them maybe they are flexible enough? i just stick a pick in the rootball and pull it outward--nothin too fancy unless the plant is tender.

looks pretty close to grade--what else is wrong with it?
 
Guy, a tree like in your picture, sure it makes sense.

Hard to tell from the picture but the small 1/2" roots that you can see are the best ones in the ball. They would have broken if you tried to straighten them. There were roots better than 1" in side the ball. It was the same size as it's last container and probably 75% solid. What you see is after about 30 minutes of blasting with a hose.

I am all for saving trees but remediation for that tree and 30+ others is removal. They should have been culled in the nursery.
 
30+ removed? Pretty radical ararar based on pic which is not a lot of data. a basically radial framework seems apparent in the midst of the twisting, and roots do graft over time. i've kept a lot worse, but if your client has $$$ for replacement then that changes everything.

Were the crowns bad? what's the species?
 
Guy, Not trying to argue with ya, just having a discussion here.

The trees have not been removed at this point. Could the problem be remediated? Possibly with intensive labor to correct the problems and considerable follow-up/monitoring. If i found the tree on the curb I may try to save it but it would still be polishing a turd.

The client paid for FL #1 or better and got culls, why should they have to deal with the added costs of polishing.

Shumard, Florida Elms, and Red Maple.

Yes, the crowns were FL #2 except the Shumards.

In the end, I believe we could save this tree but why? I believe it would be cheaper to replace with a quality tree, planted correctly, than attempt remediation.

Which would better the better value for the client?
 
sure; no good doing the work if more work went into it than it was worth. to find that out in a big population of red maples once, the landscapers' laborers worked along with me until they got the hang of it. figured out $/tree and owners said go ahead. then i pulled out until final inspection after they finished.

but hey if the plants were not to spec and can be returned, that's where they belong, on the growers' compost heap!

\o and nice to hear of standards being used.
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Unless people like Eric stand up and say NO and make contractors pay up this continued practice of shipping inferior materials will continue.

If the client is paying for low grade material then so be it. How often are low grade materials EVER spec'd?
 
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