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Palo Verde branches dying back

13 years ago

I recently received a new palo verde from the Tucson Trees for shade program. When it arrived on my doorstep it was very spindly and had very few leaves. It is planted in the middle of a lawn (I removed the grass from an area a little larger than the trees dripline)and gets full sun from about 9am till sunset. I watered it every other day deeply for the first week, and then taped that down to about every 3-4 days. Towards the end of the first week the leaves began to shrivel, turn brown and then proceeded to drop. I've kept on the watering schedule of every 3-4 days, but maybe this isn't enough? The branches are still flexible and only getting brittle on the very tips of some of the brownest branches. On a side note, I was told that I would receive a desert museum species, but this palo verde seems to have throns, which I read the desert museum does not have. There are also tiny spider webs between many of the branches. I also have a post in the gallery section with a picture. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

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Comments (6)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
Hard to tell with info provided. First WAG is overwatering, perhaps combined with improper planting (standard Dan default). Since you do not relate what the results were when you tested the soil for moisture, I'd wager a microbrew on overwatering based on scant info provided. And I'm not going to blindly search somewhere for a picture, so I'm sticking with it.

Off for more coffee...

Dan
istaticl
Original Author
13 years ago
Image is here:http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/trees/gal1116391828630.html

The soil is fairly rocky, verging on caliche. When I planted the tree I dug the hole twice the width and same depth of the pot it was in. I filled it with water and it drained in a little more than an hour. I mixed the original soil with Miracle Grow garden soil at about 50-50. When I try and test the soil for moisture, it usually results in me hitting a rock with my test rod at about a foot deep. I've stopped watering for about 5 days now and the tree looks the same. I haven't tested the soil since I've stopped watering but I'm guessing my test rod will not get through much. I think I should have amended the soil with some sand and compost to improve drainage.
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Sorry about the damage to your son's tree. Not fun. I have to say, I am not a big fan of 'Desert Museum' palo verde trees. I know they are the "in" and trendy tree right now and are being planted everywhere, in commercial settings especially, but I think they are awfully lanky and gangly and subject to a lot of wind damage. They're popular because they grow very quickly, and low litter and generally thornless, but that quick growth makes their branches shoot up and look boring and weak (to me). I know, I know, a ton of people have them and love them, and I think the best ones are ones that get regular pruning and not too much water. I'm not saying I'd never try one if I ever moved to a new garden, but I would expect to have to prune it a lot to keep it looking nice and to keep it from getting storm damage and honestly, I just don't think a lot of plant sellers are telling people that part. Your son can prune his to try to create a shape he likes and that's a decent approach. I've seen some very nice ones around town, but again, they're getting regular pruning to thin them out and to make interesting branches. If he replaces it, I'd suggest getting a non-hybrid native Palo Verde if possible. In any case, he can defitely give it a good haircut and see how it progresses. Thinning out and removing a lot of the thin branches will help its appearance for sure. Good luck to him. Let's see what our other members say too. Take care, Grant
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
Your problem starts with filling the backfill with miracle-gro amendment. That's too bad. The tree is likely not going to do anything until spring, if it survives the backfill mistreatment.

And sand and compost won't help you either. When you were doing research for proper planting techniques, you should have found that most places recommend no amendment for backfill. And these same places would have pointed out sand is a detriment, even with your seemingly contradictory rocky-caliche soil description.

Hopefully the tree recovers and is able to overcome the planting errors. You may still have time to dig it up and re-plant, but I haven't been following the weather so maybe some neighbors can help with that.

Dan
melt_in_the_sun
13 years ago
I can't help with saving the tree, but I can tell you with certainty that it's not the Desert Museum hybrid.
dee_vegas
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What you have are Palo Verdo webworms. They are a cousin to the tent caterpillar. Web worms will focus on the tender new ends of the branches. They may cause cosmetic damage but will not kill the tree. You have several options:

• Leave the tree alone. Within a week or two, they will probably be gone.
• Spray with water to hose them off. The best time is after sundown.
• Use Bt [bacillus thuringiensis] the traditional organic approach to any
caterpillar.
• As a very last resort, use Sevin.

I have observed goldfinches collecting these webs off Palo Verde trees in the spring, probably to be used for nest building!

http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/old_archives/arid_gardener/2000-May/001784.html
Sara Malone Zone 9b
9 years ago
'Desert Museum' is still under patent and costs a fortune. If you ordered - and paid for - a 'Desert Museum', protest and get your money back. They do not have thorns. And way easier to kill these with overwater - and poor drainage - than underwater. I'd plant it up in a mound with lots of rocky additive such as lava rock pebbles. They are cool trees - I have both the DM and one of the parent species and they are quite a conversation piece so I hope yours survives. Good luck!

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