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Help! Is my Katsura tree dead or can I save it?

last year

last modified: last year

Greetings- I will try and make this as short as possible. I live in NE Indiana and have an established Katsura tree that was planted around 2004. It has been a healthy tree up to this point. I normally trim ii in April but got behind schedule and trimmed about2-3" off the bottom foilage that droops down ,which is the nature of the tree, in mid June. Two weeks later it was wilting and leaves drying up. I called a local nursery and was told I probably tramatized the tree and it went into shock. He felt it would make it but would look ugly for a few months. It really looks horrible and dead. It was my mom's tree, rest her soul, and I would be crushed if I killed it. I have watered it, by hose with a slow trickle for a couple hours every few weeks. We have had periods of rain here, but dry like most parts of the country. Does anyone have any thoughts how I can save this tree, or assurance it will be ok, just looks horrible now. Anything I can do besides watering it( read somewhere not to water too much because that can stress trees). I would appreciate if anyone can help me with this tough situation.

Thanks,

Julyguy

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Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Can you post a photo? There is no way that small amount of trimming you said you did would "traumatize" any tree to the degree you describe. I'd suspect something else is not right and my first choice would be watering. Katsuras are thirsty trees and do not tolerate high heat and dryness well. I had a weeping katsura planted in my old garden that would routinely lose its leaves in summer if I was not out there watering deeply at least once a week! But it always revived and would leaf out as normal the next spring.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
We need pictures to make any kind of useful suggestions. Trimming it wouldn’t kill it if was healthy, or even put it into shock. (Although annual trimming is not at all necessary.)
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
how about some pix
Embothrium
last year
last modified: last year
The small amount of snipping would not have caused the whole tree to shrivel - have you had a hotter and drier summer this year than before? Do these slow trickles for 2 hours spread out over the root area to make a broad puddle before soaking in? Or is there just a small wet spot off the end of the house after all that time? If the latter you are deeply watering a narrow column of soil and missing most of the tree's roots.

Saving Your Trees From Drought! – The Garden Professors™

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