Is it in a box?

No that is a border I use to alert neighbors of anything new I plant. It also keeps animals away from the young bark.

The bare spots around the tree is from me leveling the ground before I planted the tree. I will till it a few inches and plant grass as soon as I know if the tree will live. I don't need fresh seeds around the tree right now. Everything you see I've built, including the garden swings, garage and the 8 foot light house with Halogen beacon. So, I'm pretty handy except when it comes to trees. I just had to take a weeping willow and a pussy willow down last week because I think the cold and wind over the past two winters made the bark fall off, then the limbs started to get huge cracks in them. Last year I lost two beautiful evergreens that accented the front of my house because I didn't catch a bag worm infection until it was too late. I've replanted them this year and now I know when to spray for the bag worms. I'm having a bad run here and It's been tough having to cut down mature trees I've grown.. I usually don't have a issue getting them to grow. That's why I'm concerned about this crabapple. It's not any where close to the trees I lost. It's in my front yard.

Any answers?

transplant shock .. big time ..

compare your planting with the link ...

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

most of us prefer to plant dormant.. leafless trees... then the leaves dont end up looking like yours ..

we also prefer to do it in april.. or early may .. to give the roots 4 to 6 weeks to get pumping.. before the leaves need the water ...

if you put a leafed out transplant in full sun ... then it is in shock ...

will it survive.. who knows.. keep watching.. its possible.. if you perfect watering.. that it can releaf ...

i have no clue if your schedule means anything.. in your soil ... nor do i understand.. how you know how many gallons you apply.. with a soaker hose????

trees prefer to near dry.. in between waterings.. and presuming you drenched it in good at planting ... i would not be surprised.. with proper mulch.. that it wouldnt need watering for up to a month ...

you have to insert finger ... or use a hand trowel.. and find out how wet it is.. 3 to 6 inches down.. next to the root mass you planted ... and alter your watering accordingly ...

ken

ps; you are the second person this week who said this about a soaker hose ..??? or did you have other posts????

Thanks Ken.

No I don't have other posts, I'm new here.

Also, when I water things like trees and bushes a good soaker means I put two to three gallons in a 5 gallon bucket. It's been hot and sunny here in southern pa for a while now. When I do stick my finger down in the potting soil I mixed with native soil it's dry when I water.

Also, I know my wells gpm out of a 5/8 garden hose which is helpful when watering my mature trees after a dry spell.

With the tree in question I use a five gallon bucket with about two and a half gallons of water in it and the knowledge of doing a perc test in the hole before planting.

Ok, the lack of a definite diagnoses leads me to think I need to pull the tree and start over with another tree. Would you all pull the tree to be sure? I wish all trees where as easy to grow as weeping willows and rose of sharons.

Thank you steppskie.