That tree looks to have been moved around with a front end loader. Normally you would pad the top of the bucket with burlap or something to prevent scraping the tree trunk up.

Unfortunately not everyone knows or cares...

Accidents can happen and while I understand that every tree the nursery has means $$ when they sell it and discarding a piece of inventory means taking a loss on that item.

Still, that doesn't make it right, selling it to an unwary customer.

A wound like that can be an avenue for rot entering, weakening the trunk and eventual demise of the tree.

You're paying (plenty for a tree that size) and shouldn't have to accept anything but a healthy tree in good shape. imo.

4-25-2024:

FWIW:

I did not give the P. mariana sunshade last Fall for winter. The tree seemed more mature and is getting partial shade from the surrounding spruce that are now tall enough to supply some afternoon shade.

So, I just took a chance and let it go unprotected. No winter burn at all coming through this spring of the 2023/2024 winter. Should be good to go, from now on I would think.

:-)

Robins are often the harbingers of spring where I live, but it seems like I always see red-tailed hawks return before I see robins.

On May 10 - 20 is a Tulip Festival in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. Admission to the more than 300,000 tulips in bloom is free.

The festival started with the Dutch sending tulips right after WW2 in gratitude for the role of Canada in the liberation of their country. Also, a Dutch princess was born in Ottawa during WW2, the only royalty ever born in Canada. The Dutch still send tulips :-)

Well, still haven’t swapped out my snowblower, but my blooming serviceberry is a good sign.

tj

David, I'm looking closely at the stems of the plum yew, and it looks like the last year's growth was almost a foot on the most vigorous ones.