Memorial trees not doing well

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Mr. Sir

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These six live oaks were planted at a church as memorial trees about four years ago. The soil area is only about 64 square feet. As you can see, the tips are dying back, new growth is sparse, and the leaf color is off. I suspect they were B&B and were probably not installed properly. Any suggestions on a course of action to help ensure their survival?
 

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Were these container grown or moved with a tree spade? You are going to have to do a root crown exam; they look too deep.

Also the water loving annuals should all be in pots so that their water requirements can be met seperately from the oaks.

Dave
 
the tip dieback. makes it apparent

as well as the flowers under them, bet they get watered frequently for the flowers sake

oaks like to be dry
 
Root crown excavation first thing. They look too deep. Also look for non degradables girdling the stem or preventing spread of absorption roots. A hard interface at the edge of the planting hole could also be restraining root spread.

Root invigoration with vertical mulching is a good start too.

Seems like arborists are the first ones to call when you want to kill a tree but the last when you want to plant a tree. People need educating.
 
All great answers. There are a lot of debatable planting practices, leaving the burlap and poly twine around the trunk is not one of them. Don't know if that happened here, but I've seen it done way too many times. Dig them up and have a look see.
 
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  • #9
Thanks for all the replies. They are reluctant to do an excavation because the flowers are part of some children's project at the church. But it looks like it is necessary to save the trees.
 
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  • #11
It's not the cost, it's the fact that a bunch of little kids spent a lot of time and effort to plant them. It's a sentimental thing. :cry:
 
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  • #13
Some people go to church on weekends.
 
only have to move the flowerpots to do an rcx; 5 minutes per tree with a trowel, man, no biggie in your sandy soil. ;)

then find another flowerbed for the kids to fill next time. :|:
 
The beds won't have much sentimental value when they have to remove the stumps to re-plant.
 
Kids don't get as emotionally attached to memorials as adults do. If it's been more than 3 days then the kids probably don't have much emotional attachment to the flowers. If the flowers get dug up and replaced, the adults will spend weeks fretting over it and the kids will look for 3 seconds and think "oh, they replaced the flowers" before returning to doing what kids do.
 
Kids don't get as emotionally attached to memorials as adults do. If it's been more than 3 days then the kids probably don't have much emotional attachment to the flowers. If the flowers get dug up and replaced, the adults will spend weeks fretting over it and the kids will look for 3 seconds and think "oh, they replaced the flowers" before returning to doing what kids do.

So true. My kids, daughter anyway, would be psyched about helping the trees and planting more flowers.
 
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  • #20
Kids don't get as emotionally attached to memorials as adults do. If it's been more than 3 days then the kids probably don't have much emotional attachment to the flowers. If the flowers get dug up and replaced, the adults will spend weeks fretting over it and the kids will look for 3 seconds and think "oh, they replaced the flowers" before returning to doing what kids do.

...says the guy with no kids. :P
 
Seems like arborists are the first ones to call when you want to kill a tree but the last when you want to plant a tree. People need educating.

There's a great quote!

Not the best species selection for the long-term, either, but I agree with what has been said.

And Brian's right, too.
 
try moving the soil away from the trunk and see how far you get till the trunk flare meets the first roots, pretty non invasive start to see if there is an obvious problem. Maybe a soil core sampler but someone mentioned sandy soil which is tough to get a good core from.

is there auto irrigation or is it getting hand watered? Amendments might include nitrozyme (a kelp product, stress reliever with cytokinins) and if excess moisture is an issue, consider calcium peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, non gaseous forms of oxygen.
 
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