Question
we live in NJ and we planted 7 2" caliber october glory maples august 19th. the weather happened to be in the 90's and they have direct sun from 11am - 8pm. the leaves on all the trees were green at the time of planting and the root balls were moist, by the next day one of the trees leaves looked a little wilted and by Sunday the one that was wilted lost most of its leaves and 4 others have turned fall colors and are loosing some of their leaves, the remaining trees look fine. we've been watering twice a day.  are they in shock ? do i need to worry  ? do i need to do something ??

Answer
Jeff:
At this time of year, watering frequency is important.  I usually "flood the hole" as soon as I fill in the hole- this gets all of the air spaces out of the hole.  Roots that grow into air pockets will usually slow or stop, so it is recommended to establish an intimate contact of soil and roots at planting. Then afterwards wet down deeply 1-2 X per week.  Lay your garden hose under it and it it trickle for 2-3 hrs.  Careful not to over do it.  The site should drain well.  Too much water is bad too! Some wilting may occur (transplant shock), but be patient- leaves should perk back up if the water is OK.  Just a bit of TLC during this transition time. Steady as she goes!!

P.S. Mulch around it--no deeper than 3". Conserves moisture and keeps those %$#@* stringtrimmers and lawnmowers away from them. Those things are like a death sentence to a young tree.

Regards
STeve