Hi Pam. Your third photo goes down....down...not quite down far enough, but from the more distant view, it seems quite possible that the poorer tree may have been planted too deeply. If you have the opportunity, you might pull some sod away from just right around the trunk so we can have a better look at this critical area, the root flare. Generally, we like to see the root flare, that area of swollen tissue where trunk meets roots, at or just slightly above finish grade.

Also, instead of a thick carpet of turf, which by reason of its tight network of roots, ends up being a very tough competitor to a tree, which with its forest background never would have had to adapt to turf cover surrounding it. Mostly in this world, where grasses grow, trees don/t and vice versa.

So, get us a look at the area where the root flare should be, and then we'll talk about mulch.

I cleared the area around the trunk. If you can see the darker area of the trunk. That is where the dirt was built up. I probably dug up about 6 inches before I seen the roots. Do you think it was planted too low? I will dig up more turf around the tree and mulch so it won't have to compete so much with the grass. I thank you for your advice. Any other thoughts would be great.

now that you cleared the soil away ... i would see how it responds next year ...

there is little instant gratification in trees ...

if your personality can not wait .. then replace it ...

if it were out back on my 5 acres ... i could wait a decade to see what happens... if it were near my front door , it would probably drive me insane daily.. and it would be out of there by this weekend ...

which is basically restating the above answer ...

ken

You're on the right track, Pam. So, that tree most definitely was planted too deeply. Even with your good job of clearing soil away, we're still not seeing a root flare. So yes, this is a classic case, and don't be upset with yourself; This is extremely common, with many to perhaps most commercial landscaping firms still not getting the message about new approaches to treecare. Oddly enough, it is governmental agencies, things like municipal forestry units, where the real progressive stuff is happening. It saddens me to have to say this, but most of the commercial guys I deal with don't know anything about this! In my opinion, there's just no excuse for that. If I was able to come out of Nowheresville, Wisconsin, and manage to completely upgrade my approach to treecare (beginning in 1980, lol), so too should any private firm claiming to have expert staff, etc. Leaving baskets on, not cutting rope used to secure the rootball, not being aware that nursery practice heaps soil up on top of what will eventually become the rootball, and then obviously, the lack of awareness of planting depth.

The trouble with that is, while being planted too deeply will utterly ruin the tree, this takes time, so by the time it has manifested itself to the point that the average person notices, it's far too late. No warranty in the world will cover this problem.

I'm sure there are progressive firms out there. We've got some here too. But in terms of landscape installation, I'm afraid we're looking at lots of sub-standard stuff being done. And it's unnecessary; If the individuals who own these private companies would only seek to have their staff be up to date, it would be huge. I know that where private firms are concerned, the need to generate a profit comes into play. But we noticed like twenty or twenty five years ago that to do the job right only adds minutes to each tree that gets planted. Trees-when properly sited and happy in their circumstances-can go on living for centuries. So another three minutes to plant fades to insignificance.

I think maybe I'd try digging it up and re-planting. I don't really see it getting better on its own.

That's lichen on the trunk, not moss; it's not harmful to the tree but we see more of it on puny specimens because there's more sunlight and improved air circulation.

what's the soil moisture like in the area where the non-growing plant is located?

improper planting and/or watering

I agree planted too deep