I noticed this week that it was sending up a shoot from the base. I've heard that is probably a symptom of stress. Today I went to snip the shoot off and noticed some pretty big chunks of bark barely hanging on the tree from the base to about 2' up. It isn't hanging off all the way around the tree. At its worst, it's just a little less than halfway around the tree.

Here are a few pictures:

I can easily flip the hanging bark off of the tree, as shown here.

Here's a wider view of the tree. The leaves are somewhat sparse, but other than that seems to be in decent shape.

Looking at the tree closer, I can see a few holes that could possibly 'bored' by a beetle of some sort. These holes are not concentrated in one spot - they are spread out sporadically on the tree. You can also seem some cracks in the bark near the holes.

What do you think? Is the tree toast? I have to admit that my gut says it's not going to make it. Suggestions?

if you clean it up more.. is there ANY indication that it has begun the healing process???

we tend to suggest to peeps.. that they go with smaller transplants.. as they take the stress easier.. recover faster... and get established faster ..

if you replace it.. go with half that size .... IMHO ...

the canopy is very sparse ... though it might recover .... i dont know if i could look at it on my front lawn for the 5 or 10 years it will take ... if it were out in the back 40 ... whatever ...

ken

Some of the holes appear to be birds foraging for whatever larvae were causing the galleries to be visible in the 4th pic. My suggestion is to start planning for a replacement. Your gut isn't lying to you. When you replace, per Ken the biggest tree is usually not the best choice. 2.5" caliper is just fine. Ensure good supplemental irrigation, esp. first year. And I'm not sure my eyes have been working properly here lately, but I can't tell if that tree is planted properly at grade - very common for B&B to be too deep & if so, that is ~66% of problem right there, harsh weather likely tipped its fate.

Dan

Sorry about your tree :-( If it is planted too deep it might never recover to your satisfaction and will remain susceptible to attack from other pests.

I echo the replacement suggestions already stated. Hope you stick around there are a lot of very helpful people here.

You came to "the ultimate" source for tree knowledge ;) Do you listen to WWLS?

John

if properly watered.. the grass on the planting.. should be more vigorous than the lawn ...

and watering a large root mass.. deeply and thoroughly.. for 3 to 5 years.. is very hard to do ... you can learn all about that.. should you start over..

and that is probably the way to go...

ken

Ken - Do you think I should peel off the bark that easily comes off (is this what you mean by cleaning it up)? What should I look for to see if there is any healing?

Thanks for the notes about going for a smaller tree. I had heard that advice before, but of course, I wanted a bigger tree "now". And now I probably have an expensive mistake, it would seem. If I do replace, I'll definitely go for something smaller.

I had been good about keeping the bermuda off of it, until the last month or so. With the intense heat we've had, I haven't been as good at keeping the bermuda out of flowerbeds and the trees as usually am. I watered it once a week for most of that first summer after we planted it, and into the fall. I set the hose at a trickle and let it soak for an hour or so. Because of the heat and lack of rain this summer, I've been doing that slow soak a couple times a month.

Regarding the planting, I think it was done decently well. The top of the rootball is actually a little above the rest of the lawn, around 3-4". It's hard to see that from these pics. In the first few pics, you can see some bare soil where I had quickly used the weedeater at the base of the planting, where it raises up from the lawn.

Thanks again for the advice!

It is not just that the tree is above grade, it is that it appears to have a LOT of soil directly on top of the rootball resting against the trunk. Soil above the rootball should begin directly above the rootball, not 2-8" above :) As already mentioned, it is very common for B&B stock to have extra soil piles on top that needs to be removed at planting for several purposes. You basically need to remove soil until you find the root flare to know for sure. As bad as the tree looks, I would do it now. Even if you don't keep it, you can at least see for yourself what condition it is in and that may help you in your future plantings.

John

I'm not saying your's will sprout if you cut it down but if you are going to get another tree anyway, it may be worth trying. You can always try to replant it when the conditions are right.