Bob, I'm not sure what your planting experience is, so will relay one of my simple basic rules to you just in case. If you choose to replant this tree, keep in mind to help keep your backfill slightly compacted. Otherwise, you will definitely experience resettling of the refill component soil sooner if not later. The first good watering is usually enuff to give a good hint towards the ultimate outcome. Just a few weighted heels of your boot/shoe as you go from layer to layer of backfill is usually sufficient. Sure, the developing roots of the new tree like a loose nit matrix for easy expansion, but some firmness in the hole is still usually quite a bit better than the undug soil surounding your dug out hole. Like the other posters here are basically saying, air pockets are not a good thing for several reasons actually. Just keep watch on the roots' placement or bundling up as you proceed along. If you eliminate the settling factor, you will also most likely eliminate these sorts of "whoopsey" replant prospects as well. Best wishes on all your future tree planting projects, ~q3~

For people who grow roses in a climate like mine, a medium zone 5 in the middle of Michigan, I could distill everything I think I know about spring pruning to three points: 1) Don't prune too early or you'll just have to prune again; don't prune too late or the plant will just waste it's energy trying to make new growth on damaged wood. Tax time (April 15th) plus or minus a few weeks works for me. 2) Ignore spring pruning advice given in books by people who don't live in your zone. For example, the standard advice to not prune Hybrid Teas until the end of their second year is just silly if you live in zone 5. 3) The one most important rule: Prune back each cane until you see a completely white or green cut surface across the cane, with no brown in the center (this is one case where the standard advice in rose books is correct). If your rose ends up with any canes longer than 6 inches, either you didn't follow this advice, or the winter was unusually mild, or you have some superior method for winter-protection, or your rose is exceptionally cold-hardy, or you don't live in zone 5.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice, guys. I just raked back a bit of the soil around the trunk and put down some straw, hoping that will prevent water from pooling in the middle. When I raked the soil I did run into a few VERY thin roots that I'm not sure were even connected to the tree. I hope my roughing them up didn't cause any damage. Overall, the tree looks a lot better and happier now. My next step is fencing it in to keep the critters out. It probably is opossums. I've seen them climbing over our fence at night in the past. I'd rather just make a cage/fence for the tree than try to catch them. I've also had a real problem with ants climbing up the tree and farming aphids that feed on the new leaves. I had to remove the Tanglefoot when I was working on the tree and will reapply it. It keeps the ants away but getting it on is a real pain. I have to crawl under this tiny tree and the usual method of wrapping the paper strip around the trunk doesn't work because the bark is not smooth and creates gaps under the paper that the ants just crawl through. So what I've been doing is putting a piece of duct tape around the trunk and putting the Tanglefoot on that. I don't really like taping the tree, though. I considered putting the goo directly on the trunk but I've heard that's not good either. Any other possible advice on that? Blocking up the gaps under the paper with cotton and what not is difficult as I have do do all of this while practically lying on the ground and straining my body. Ugh.

I know you are not being mean spirited, indianagardengirl. You are trying to get me to move forward. It took us time to make the decision to apply for our tree permit, and then to go through the process. Had the tree been able to be removed, it would have brought us peace of mind as the possibility of water damage would have been greatly reduced to almost nil. So now, moving on, means making difficult decisions: move (very difficult as I still have children living with me); do an addition to the house that would require removal of the tree (difficult choice and expensive); prune the tree (easy choice; but still have the risk of water damage); remove the tree (pay a fine which could be substantial, but unknown). Part of me finds some comfort in educating and helping others about our tree bylaw.