I think it is possible that it will come back. No need to do anything in the meantime.

Glad to have been able to offer a little help, Kay. I've planted trees too deep to begin with too, and then learned, luckily, before much damage was evident. Gardening is a learning process, the steepness of the learning curve is variable! The depth of planting is very likely the reason for the bare look at the top. Try to pull enough soil away from the trunk so that the root flare or collar is visible. If doing so leaves your Shishi in a depression, or worse yet, a hole, first and foremost, dig a trench so that excess moisture can drain away rather than sit. Then in late winter, while the tree is still completely dormant, but the ground no longer frozen, you can try digging around your tree (you could do this now, going around the tree a set distance from the trunk to get as much of the roots as possible, sinking the shovel in to the depth of the shovel blade). After going all the way around the tree (I'm talking late winter again), try loosening it, taking your time wiggling it and gradually lifting the root ball. When able, tip your tree to the side enough to shove some more dirt under the root ball. Proceed to the other side of the tree and do the same. When you think you've got it, stand the tree upright and check. If more is needed, just tip the tree again and continue building it up. When at the proper level, be absolutely certain to fill in any air pockets under the tree and firm in place. Re-mulch using the previously mentioned 'donut' method. If done in this manner, it IMHO less stressful to the tree than lifting it outright, plus it remains established through the worst part of the winter and the high winds we tend to get at this point in the year (at least in my area). I have remedied the planting of a tree in this manner in late January without ill effect, though that tree had only been in the ground for about 9mths. Also, our ground tends not to freeze under the snow cover, so I just shovelled the snow back in a large area, did the job, replaced the mulch and then the snow. In spring, I just checked again to make sure that the tree hadn't settled. With the base of your trunk able to breathe, I think the bark should harden on its own. Also, when you plant, try not to add to much to the planting hole, or you can end up creating a 'comfort zone' where conditions are so nice, the roots don't want to move out into native soil. If amending, make sure you do just that, amend the native soil, not replace it. Test your soil to see if it is alkaline, neutral or acidic before adding sulphur, as most JM will do fine on neutral soil as well. Also a good idea to test for nutrients before fertilizing. If you normally wrap your tree in 5A, I would suggest using stakes around your tree and then wrapping burlap around them, instead of right up against your tree. This gives your tree and the all important buds insulation against varying winter temps, where if they are up against the burlap, they are more susceptible to bitter cold and partiucarly warm, sunny days. Sorry this ended up being a book, hope it helps, and if anyone reads this with more experience and better suggestions, please chime in! Anne

First, moss is not the plague that many perceive it to be :-) Yes, it can be problematic on roofs or on shaded paving areas but otherwise its effects are predominately only aesthetic. And it can be a good indicator of other cultural issues that should be addressed first. Moss in gravel and/or bark is no big deal. If you want to get rid of it, there are various methods, although heading directly into our low light, rainy season would not be my preferred timing! In our area, moss is a given and learning how to cope with it is far more satisfying than attempting to eliminate it.....which you can't. You are only delaying the inevitable. Various moss control products contain ferrous sulfate, ferrous ammonium sulfate, zinc sulfate or ammoniated soap of fatty acids. All of them can kill moss but effectiveness is variable. The zinc products are probably the most effective but are typically recommended only for roofs and structures, as zinc can be toxic to plants. The ammoniated soap (MossOut) is the most environmentally safe but is also the least efficient.

ajsmama, Had a very similar problem. Picked up a bottle of Espoma, Earth-tone, Moss Control from Lowes or Southern States (can't remember which), attached it to the garden hose - sprayed and within 36 hours the moss and mold and everything else died and turned a crusty brown. I then took a hose and it washed away. A few areas required a brushing, but it did not harm the stain or paint and did NOT harm nearby plants. It did kill moss that was growing on the ground next to the house though - and I was glad about that. So, I also used in a couple of grass areas to test and it did not harm the grass but did kill the moss. I did not pull up the dead moss and the grass has started to retake its' rightful spot! This was about mid-June.