| I planted 3 bradford pear trees; small but good size. The ground was very hard but I made the holes extra big to allow the roots to expand. The leaves were nice and green until I tansplanted. Then they turned brown and fell off. The ground is moist but not muddy. Did I over or under water? |
| Transplant stress, especially with trees planted during the hot summer months, is quite common. As the trees are trying to deal with the heat and trying to re-establish their roots, they often lose leaves. But as soon as they adjust to their new homes they usually perk right up and will quite often replace the lost leaves. New trees should be watered deeply once or twice a week, depending upon weather. The goal is about one inch of water, applied slowly so it has a chance to trickle down and wet the entire rootmass. The easiest way to accomplish this is to dig a water well or water basin directly beneath your trees. Once a week flood the basin, allow the water to drain, then flood it a second time. Keep expanding the basin as the tree or shrubs grows so the water you apply goes directly down to the majority of the root mass. Best wishes with your new trees! |
