Question
About 18 months ago I planted a set of 12 acer globosums. They were bare rooted when bought. They are about 10 feet tall and the stems are 1.5 to 2.5 inches in diameter. I have problems with 4 of the trees. In one case there are only a few leaves and some of these very small. On the other "problem" trees there are more leaves but the leaves are small compared to the 8 healthy trees. I've tried watering and feeding the trees but it doesn't appear to make a significant difference. Would it be worthwhile re-planting the trees come wintertime. They were planted in a hurry and the ground may not have been very well prepared. Any help appreciated.

Answer
It will be hard to replant a 10 foot tree. But I would guess that the "problem" trees are root bound. Sometimes the roots can not penerate the soil and they will not grow properly. There is not much you can do--you could try gentlely loosing the soil around the tree but you must be careful not to cut the roots. I would stay away from the tree about 1 1/2 feet and loosen some of the soil but not all the way around the trunk. Then if you have not done this I would mulch around the tree. Sorry that is the best I can think of without replanting the trees.