Young Tree In Trouble

[lowpolyjoe]

Hey Guys,

I can't remember if I posted pics of these guys before - i don't think so.  I was given tiny little saplings (maybe 8" long) about 2 years ago.  A friend joined an Arbor society  and received them as a gift but had no place to plant them.  I put all the little guys in pots.  I had about 10 but only 2 survived the first year.  They are now each about 6-8' tall.  They both just bloomed a few days ago.  This morning i notice 1 of them is not looking so good.  The ends of most of his leaves are turning black.

I'm not sure what species these are - not sure if you can tell this early in the season.  I woudl be curious to know.

Secondly - and more importantly - can anyone tell what's wrong with this guy?   The pot he is in is certainly way too small and i was planning to plant or repot him soon.  Will he recover from his?  Is there anything i can do?







Thanks again

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hello,

Not sure of the species?

They need to get out of the pots, and/or be root pruned and re-potted.  Perhaps take a sample to a local nursery?

Looks like it could be a soil deficiency or a fungus.

Sorry I wasn't more helpful, maybe others can be.

[lowpolyjoe]

Thanks for the feedback.

I am a bit embarassed about having these guys in those little pots   :embarassed:.  I want to plant them in my wooded area but the deer will kill them immediately unless i aggresively fence them off.  Right now they are close to the house and the deer don't bother them.  I think i need to wait 1 more year before i feel confident putting them out to fend for themselves 

My first thought when i looked at the leaves was that it was sort of infection.  Doesn't look like bug damage.  It's a bit cold around here and not many bugs out and about yet.

A question about repotting a root-bound plant - can you give me some pointers on 'root pruning'?  Am i supposed to cut the excess roots all the way back flush with the dirt from the original pot before repotting?  I've always been curious about that. 

I'll probably buy some starter plants for my garden shortly so maybe i'll bring a sample with me to see if they have any idea at the nursery - good idea 

[mesquite buckeye]

Did you have a recent freeze??? ???

[mesquite buckeye]

If you just cut vertically into the rootball top to bottom and an inch or so deep, and in 3 or 4 places around the rootball, that will interrupt the circling roots sufficiently for normal rooting to proceed. Remember that you have damaged the root system, so after you plant, make sure that you water if it isn't wet. Also, remember that the tree only has roots inside the rootball, so wet ground outside of the rootball is of little help. After a couple of months , the roots should have grown into the native soil and will only need extra water if it gets droughty. In a year or so, the tree should be fully established. :P

[WDH]

The short shoots and the twig bark indicate a fruit tree, probably some type of apple.  The black tips are probably the result of a nutrient deficiency. 

[Dodgy Loner]

I actually think it's a pear. I would treat it with Roundup and see if that puts it out of its misery ;)

[Axe Handle Hound]

I actually think it's a pear. I would treat it with Roundup and see if that puts it out of its misery ;)

This had me laughing.  What's the story here Dodgy?  Do you not like pear trees in general or is it just this particular one? 

[WDH]

I will give you two apples for one pear  ;D.

[lowpolyjoe]

Did you have a recent freeze??? ???

I don't *think* i've had a freeze before those pics but it's possible.  Over this past weekend it was down in the mid 30's one morning.  >:(   

I repotted the little guys for now with some potting soil.  The guy with the black tips had a huge spool of roots wrapped around the bottom of his pot.  Poor guy  :(  Second one was in a little better shape.  Depending how much they grow this spring maybe i'll plant them later in the season when part of their leaves are out of reach of deer.

I would actually be pretty happy to have a few fruit trees so i've got my fingers crossed.  I'll post some pics later in the season and maybe it'll be more clear?

Dodgy - if you hate pears you'd love the fact that my neighbor has a big pear tree that overhangs my property and drops pears on my driveway all summer.  Then i run them over and bees come swarm over the sticky mess.  it's awesome

[mesquite buckeye]

Note that all the leaves with blackened tips are of the same age, that is, just coming out. The later leaves were inside the bud still at the time, so escaped damage.

Make sure to cut the circling roots. They will slowly girdle themselves and kill the tree eventually. :'(

[lowpolyjoe]

Make sure to cut the circling roots. They will slowly girdle themselves and kill the tree eventually. :'(

Thanks - i did cut off the ring at the bottom of the pot.  I was very nervous since it was a lot of root mass.  I hope the little fella pulls through.   The new pots aren't that much bigger than the old so i'm figuring  i'll need a new plan within a few months if i want to avoid the same issue.

[mesquite buckeye]

Best place is in the ground..

[Dodgy Loner]

I actually think it's a pear. I would treat it with Roundup and see if that puts it out of its misery ;)

This had me laughing.  What's the story here Dodgy?  Do you not like pear trees in general or is it just this particular one?

Common pears are invasive. Bradford pears are ugly. Fruiting pears taste like they have sand in them. The only thing good about a pear is the wood, and they usually don't get big enough to put on a mill, and if you do find one big enough to mill, the wood will probably warp. Pear is the sweetgum of fruit trees. Not that I'm opinionated or anything ;D

I will give you two apples for one pear  ;D.

I'll take you up on that offer ;)