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Shumard Red Oak needs help!

6 years ago

I planted this oak in 2011 in honor of my daughter, so it has sentimental value to me.

I added lots of amendments, grave at the bottom of the hole, soil mender cotton burr compost, ect. I probably planted a few inches too deep to began with, after the first year, I noticed it had shrunk deeper in the ground. After a few years of keeping the Bermuda out of the tree ring, I finally gave up and let it grow over the roots. This past year we had had hail, a heavy ice storm, snow in May after it had leafed out. As the leaves browned and became curly with dark spots, I started researching. I sprayed it with Bonide 811 Copper 4E Fungicideat two weeks intervals. No help.

I dug all of the burmuda away, and very carfully found the crown of the trunk. I removed some of the roots, leaving several exposed, an put a small amound of mulch. We have never pruned it. Any help will be appreciated.

I took this picture on a cloudy morning. I will try to post another in better light. It is not this green.

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
no spray will ever help ice and hail damage.. and the leaves will look like heck the rest of the year ...

imo.. its not necessary to treat secondary problems.. once the integrety of the leaf occurs ...

its a deciduous tree.. so next year.. the leaves ought to be fine ...

i would excavate and install some retaining wall blocks ... to allow a lower soil level.. inside the ring ... something like the second pic ..

https://www.google.com/search?biw=979&bih=746&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=retaining+wall+block+tree+ring+to+lower+soil+level&oq=retaining+wall+block+tree+ring+to+lower+soil+level&gs_l=psy-ab.3...20615.25009.0.25250.22.20.2.0.0.0.113.1468.18j1.19.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.0.0....0.Msf_tRdf6yw

review the link.. on how to plant a tree .. the biggest reason not to amend.. is because amends tend to settle.. and the tree sinks.. like i needed to tell you that ... lol ... bunches of other good stuff there ....

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

looks like you have a fertd lawn.. NEVER fert the tree .. it will get what little it needs from under the lawn ...

otherwise ... it looks great .. try not to kill it with too much love... its a tree .. not the child ...

it should never need pruning.. unless you have a goal to accomplish.. which requires such.. but for properly pruning out damaged parts ... if any.. ever ...

get rid of the spray ...

whats the pipe sticking out of the ground.. a tree planted in 2011 should be free range.. and not really ever need water ... get rid of it.. if you can get it out without intense root damage.. otherwise.. maybe cut it off underground.. and fill it up.. who needs hot air down in the root zone ...

once you get it all set.. only put enough mulch to reduce weeds sprouting ... no need to fill up the whole well ...

ken
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
oh.. it should be off color in late september.. the leaves are shutting down and will fall off soon ... nothing to worry about.. imo .. and its common for damaged leaves to fall off early ... they had a rough year ....ken
Debra Vessels thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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Debra Vessels
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Ken for the advice.. It has looked this way all season. We are still having 90 degree days here, so it will be a while before they drop. Some years they do not drop until the nest spring, when it starts leafing out. Yes, the pipe needs to go, but, it is too deep, 3', so I will dig out the gravel as far as I can reach, and fill it with soil and cap it. I should have skipped the Shumard and planted something else. Hindsight! We do have terrible clay soil here, thus the ammendments and the pipe. I am in the process of making a 42" ring around it, with tree well bricks that will be level with the height of the lawn. I am trying not to have a well, or pond. The second pick in your link looks perfect. Thanks again, Deb
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
I should have skipped the Shumard and planted something else. Hindsight!

==>> i really dont see anything wrong with it.. i dont understand the regrets ... in TREE TIME ... its doing just fine.. perhaps you have some level of instant gratification ... in the sense that a tree that can live a hundred years.. isnt looking good.. inside a few years after planting ...

ken

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