I planted this tree early last fall in an area where my backyard gets a lot of sun. I have religiously watered him twice a day and up until about a week ago he was growing all green. He is a very slow growing tree and has not really grown in hight much. I have a metal plant hanger in front of the tree just to slow down my dogs so they don’t mow it over.
My neighbor in the back of me has a few giant Bradford pear trees that are now blocking sun until about 2 pm (I hate those trees so much🤬)
Should I try to relocate my tree a few feet forward so he gets more sunlight? Should I fertilize him?
Should I cut the yellow parts back?
Too much water or not enough?
Thanks ya’ll 🤘🏼
by Atxforeveronmymind
8 Comments
It probably needs to breathe better, I.e., more air. I’d move back those rocks from the trunk by 6-12” or so to help the soil and roots get air.
Yeah you can totally back off the water on these guys. I’ve planted them in Spring and they subsisted on twice a week watering until fall rains, and then never water again. They love the understory, so no need to relocate to give them more sun.
I think if anything they’re drowning.
The rocks are storing up solar heat and frying your tree.
Fairly certain these can take some shade – so I don’t think that is really your issue.
Guess I wouldn’t have it surrounded by hot rocks – I’d give it a zone of mulch around it… How is your soil under those rocks? I believe it likes well draining soil – is this area clay?.. Could you be over watering? Lack of sulfur or iron?
While established drought tolerant trees might tolerate the rocks – a young tree probably doesn’t like them.. Maybe others have tips too..
Those rocks are both cooking and suffocating the roots. Definitely pull off and replace with mulch at a depth of 2-3”. How much are you watering? It will need some supplemental water the first year, but more than about weekly would probably drown it.
The rock is cooking it.
It’s too much water, not the rocks
Too much water. They are limp and yellow in color. The rock is a good idea to help disperse the water to keep it from pooling which is always a good idea. But just back up how much your watering it at a given time or how many times your watering it.
A newly planted Mexican buckeye sapling should be watered deeply and regularly during its first growing season to establish a strong root system, but once established, it’s quite drought-tolerant and can thrive with less frequent watering. Initially, water deeply every 1-2 days, ensuring the top 1-2 inches of soil are moist, and then gradually reduce the frequency. Once established, watering every two to four weeks should be sufficient, depending on local rainfall and soil conditions.