Question
QUESTION: I planted a perfect tree around Thanksgiving.  I removed all wire & twine from the trunk, leaving the burlap in the hole but unaatached to the trunk.  The tree looked perfect until about 2 mos. ago.  It gets plenty of water (not too much) but looks like it's dying.  Is it shock?  I've turned the topsoil over & even removed some because it seemed too "packed".  Should dig down to the root ball to check for problems?  Can it come back?  I live in NYC.

ANSWER: More than likely it is shock. There are a couple of things to look for that may be have been done in the planting process.

Ball and burlap plants should be planted in a hole no deeper than the height of the soil ball. Digging the hole deeper allows a plant to settle and can cause suffocation of the roots. Plants need to be transplanted at the same depth as they were originally grown at the nursery. The discoloration on the bark near ground level indicates the depth the plant was originally growing.

Remove the burlap from the top of the soil ball by rolling it down the side of the soil ball. Burlap left on top of the soil line will wick away soil moisture causing the root ball to dry out. Cut all strings that bind the burlap to the root ball. Regular burlap can be left in the hole to rot; however, synthetic material should be removed.

When placing the ball and burlap plant in the hole, lift it by the root ball and not the trunk. When filling the hole, be careful not to disturb the root ball. Add backfill up to two-thirds of the depth of the root ball and firm the soil. Settle the soil with water. Continue adding soil until hole is filled.

Mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk. I would not try digging up the tree unless it has been planted too deep then just remove the soil from around the trunk.

Water once a week with 1 inch of water--place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. Do this when it does not rain for a while.

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QUESTION: If it is shock, how long does that last?

Answer
It all depends on how the tree was planted the soil and the weather conditions. The roots will have to grow in order to produce foliage until that time the foliage will either be small or die back when the roots can not support the leaves. Most think if a a tree lives three years it will be ok. I would say next spring the roots should have grown enough and the foliage will be healthier looking.