I live in Northern Colorado and ordered a prairie fire crabapple online (from Lowe's) because there were none I could find in local stores. My local nursery could order it, as they have done for me before, but they wouldn't deliver due to my distance from the nursery. I was worried about getting it in my car without damage, so against my better judgement, I ordered from lowe's. The tree came topped. See pics. I called their support and they gave two options: arrange for a local pickup or a $30 discount.
It seems like a paltry discount for topping, but I'm going through some medical treatment currently so my brain isn't 100%. I spent 4 hours digging the hole and getting the tree planted (it's been a very dry year so far so hard to dig) with this nagging feeling that the pruning on the tree seemed off the whole time. As I was lying in bed last night, it dawned on me that I had a nagging feeling because it was the main trunk that had been cut off.
The tree is about 5 feet tall and came in a 7 gallon container. Other than being topped off and having scorching on some leaf tips, it's a healthy tree. Is it worth it to keep this tree and baby it along through the years? I told Lowe's I would call them back with a decision.
ETA: the cut part on top is just barely over 1/2" wide. Not that it helps, but the circumference just above the root flare is 1.11.
by AMidnightSoul
6 Comments
Trees are a lifetime investment.
I wouldn’t be happy with this tree and would ask for my money back. Will it survive? Maybe? Not worth the trouble in my opinion
That’s a pretty healthy wound 😅 I would be putting it back into its bucket house and take it back to Lowe’s with the rest of its probably dying tree friends.
I ordered a red wine crabapple from a nursery and it shipped to me whipped and 6ft tall and looked like it was topped. Planted in February , it’s now April and already has a leader growing 6” taller and has sprouted branches from trunk. Mine really came to life and I don’t think the future height is compromised .
But my trunk diameter is much smaller than your photo . My new leader is almost the size of trunk
Get rid of it. Plant a smaller one and I guarantee it will grow super fast. I’d also consider planting it further out from the deck.
Is it really called a crapapple??
I plant probably 10-20 trees a year, i would never accept this tree.