Weeping Cherry getting yellow leaves while still in pot??

16 years ago

I need some advice. I just bought a 'Snow Fountain' weeping cherry tree 1 week ago. After 4 or 5 days it started getting yellow leaves on 4 or 5 branches. It seems like the leaves are mostly towards the ends of the branches. The very top of the tree seems to look ok still.

I am now scared to plant this tree in case it has problems. The nursery I got it from warranties their trees until November, but I don't want to plant a tree just to go and dig it back out.

Does this look like a disease/pest problem or maybe a watering problem or even a nutrition problem?

I asked the guy at the nursery and he just said it could be overwatering and that I need to get it in the ground ASAP. But that didn't make sense to me, since trees at nurseries do just fine in pots for years. So any help from the experts here at gardenweb would be greatly appreciated.

Here are some pics I took to help out...

Thanks for any help!

Comments (3)

Embothrium
16 years ago
Specimen is very thinly foliaged, having trouble. Oldest leaves turning yellow here-and-there in solitary fashion will probably be moisture-related, as in too much or not enough. Sections of multiple leaves yellowing and shriveling is a pathogenic disease problem such as bacterial canker. Clip affected portions and take to Cooperative Extension office.
bobn4burton
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for your help bboy. I had a feeling it was some sort of disease because of the sectional die-off.

So my next question is, what would you do with the tree?

Should I try to nurse it back to health? How hard is it...?

Or should I just return the tree to the nursery? Like I said, I've only had the tree for 1 week and it hasn't even been taken out of its pot.
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Dibbit
16 years ago
Me, I would take it back, due to the extent of the damage, and how the tree looks. If they offer a guarantee until Nov., then they should honor it now. They get paid to baby plants, and you should be able to buy a healthy specimen. It IS possible that it got missed a time or two as who-ever was watering at the nursery ran down the rows of plants with the hose, and it got damaged that way. From the photos, it does look like it missed a few waterings. It should come back from it, but it may take a while and it may not be too attractive for a year or so.

Just check over your next tree very carefully before you buy it and take it home, and look after it well once you get it there - if you think it's dry from the nursery, water it, and if it's pretty wet, leave it until it's dry. Plant it ASAP (dig the hole before you go to the nursery) and mulch it well - no deeper than 4", as wide as possible, at least 3', and no mulch in the 2-3" next to the trunk. Water it abour every other day for the first week or two, then taper off to once a week or so, as the roots begin to grow out of the root ball into the surrounding soil - a long, slow watering, so the ground gets soaked to the bottom of the root ball. Check if it needs watering by checking the first few inches of soil - if it's dry, water, and if it's still damp, wait another day or 2. You want to give it the equivalent of an inch of rain per week, so adjust your watering according to how much rain you get.

Weeping Cherry getting yellow leaves while still in pot??

Comments (3)

Embothrium

bobn4burton
Original Author

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Weeping Cherry getting yellow leaves while still in pot??

Comments (3)

Embothrium

bobn4burtonOriginal Author

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bobn4burton
Original Author