What can I do to resuscitate this Tiger Sumac? It is about 18-inches tall, has two remaining trunks. The third one was cut to the crown when I bought it on clearance in June. It has dropped almost all its branches, the leaves are curled and brown, and I have tried more and less sun, water, soil types, etc. Today I dug it up, rinsed off the roots, found dead tissue and dug out the decayed third trunk, which was wrapped by the other two trunks. I also scraped out the decayed root which was fairly extensive.

My question is how to I give this plant a chance to recuperate since it needs TLC after some major surgery. My instincts are to put root stimulator on the roots and keep it moist and out of the sun. However, the normal conditions are exactly the opposite-- dry and hot sun. And what about fertilzer? Should I try to protect the skinned root areas where I removed the dead parts? With what?

I have learned so much from generous gardeners on Garden Web. Thank you for your kind responses.

Was your planting site getting proper drainage? It sounds like the root system may be rotting because of saturated soil.

Be sure to remove all the rotted roots. Cuts should be made above the rotted areas with a clean sharp knife. Any rot left may contribute to further rot. Plant in a well drained soil in an area with good surface drainage. Water when planted, but then only water again when the soil at 2" to 3" below the surface starts to dry out. Use your finger to check soil moisture on a regular basis until you get a feel for the moisture levels in your soil.

Also, you probably know your bed and whether or not it has good drainage, but not all raised beds have good drainage. If your plant did show signs of root rot, did you notice just how water retentive your soil was at that spot?

I find controlling moisture levels in containers a little more difficult then in well draining soil. If you do decide to go that route, a larger pot and a fairly sharp draining mix might help. Frequent watering may be needed with sharp drainage.