Any Dogwood Experts ... Is my tree going to die

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Author Message   Spirittoo  Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 05:08 pm EST :    I purchase a dogwood three ... it's almost 5ft tall ... I did as the instructions entailed ... I bought a bag of miracle grow tree and shrub potting mix ... I watered and used superthrive ... I tried to show a photo but it doesn't work and I don't see any instructions to upload a picture to a post ... The leaves have wilted and died ... despite my watering every day ... will it die? Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Gardenfiend  Supporting Member My Weather My Garden Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 01:42 am EST :    Is this your picture? If so, it does look pretty miserable. The dogwood advice I'll leave to someone else. All I know is that if it Cornus florida they tend to contract various diseases. About uploading pictures: when you've resized it at the buddy resizer place you have to download it to your computer, then upload it again into the post using the "paperclip" icon above where you enter text. Gardenfiend - Germany, Zone "7a"   Growit  Supporting Member My Favorite Photo My Weather My Time Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 02:12 am EST :    I would be inclined to dig it up and check the roots. Watering everyday sounds excessive and is likely to have caused the roots to rot. For a tree that size a watering can full when planting and then nothing for a week without rain would suffice. Just for future information the RHS now recommend no additions to the soil when tree planting apart from a little blood, fish and bone. They have found, in studies, that tree roots are more likely to stay in the area with the amended compost which can cause girdling and instability as the roots do not flare as they are supposed to. Growit - Hants UK, Zone "8/9"   Treelover  My Favorite Photo My Garden Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 02:20 am EST :    What is this miracle stuff called Superthrive that so many in the states talk about? I've never come across it over here and am bit skeptical. Treelover - County Durham,UK, Zone "8/9"   Dirtlady  Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 04:02 am EST :    Good advice has already been given and I'll add one more..........dogwoods' are an under-story tree, preferring the shade of taller trees. That one appears to be out in the full sun. Growit's advice is correct "no additions to the soil when tree planting apart from a little blood, fish and bone. They have found, in studies, that tree roots are more likely to stay in the area with the amended compost which can cause girdling and instability as the roots do not flare as they are supposed to". In our area we add pine bark to the existing soil only. Good luck with it. Dirtlady - Georgia, Zone "7a/8b"   Spirittoo  Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 04:39 pm EST :    Yes that is my picture ... how did you find it? All the leaves on the tree are now dead ... there are no leaves anymore ... does that mean it's a lost cause ... According to the card that came with it ... "Requires full sun to partial shade ... and that's what I did ... I can't begin to tell you how upset I am over this ... I did everything right and it died ... all I have now is a stick! Is it a lost cause? Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Dirtlady  Posted on Friday, June 06, 2008 - 05:59 pm EST :    Spirittoo, have you dug it up to look at the roots? Don't despair until you do this and move the tree to a shady location. Also, be sure to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball and don't bury it too deep. Best to dig the hole, fill the hole with water to make sure it drains well before planting the tree. Unfortunately, one cannot always rely on the plant tags. Best to know what you want and do a bit of research. I also tend to look at the root ball before buying, having learned the hard way by buying some trees really cheap that were wrapped in plastic, a costly mistake. Try this before you give up on it and if it still dies you can ask for your money back......it must not have been healthy to begin with. Dirtlady - Georgia, Zone "7a/8b"   Stephie  Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 08:07 am EST :    I had a peach tree look exactly like this. I dug it up and it virtually had no roots..at least any that would support its growth. I did everything that would be considered "right" so put it down to a lemon tree.....well, maybe I should say a "dud" since my lemon trees are doing great!LOL Stephie   Spirittoo  Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 03:24 pm EST :    Ok I when out and dug it up ... I don't know what to look for so I'll let you guys decide ... I'm not sure about the pictures ... I uploading them but it's greater than 100 and I don't know what they are talking about ... perhaps the person that got the other picture can get these too? So what do you think? Should I try to get my money back or try a different spot? Thanks in advance ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Spirittoo  Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 03:37 pm EST :    Okay ... I'll give this picture thang another shot ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Spirittoo  Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 03:41 pm EST :    Here's another shot ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Growit  Supporting Member My Favorite Photo My Weather My Time Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 04:24 pm EST :    Donna what was the soil like that you dug it out from? Do you think it was too wet? Try snapping a root as well see what it feels and looks like. They should be sappy and bend easily but not snap. Does it look like they are rotting at all? Can you upload a few close up pictures of the roots. It is hard to really see anything from the picture you have posted although what I can make out of the finer roots still look healthy. Growit - Hants UK, Zone "8/9"   Spirittoo  Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 05:04 pm EST :    I tried to post another picture but it didn't work ... that was the closest shot I could get ... I used the resize buddy, but it still said the picture was too big ... I'll give it another try ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Spirittoo  Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 05:08 pm EST :    The soil was moist, but I don't think it was too wet ... I can't tell it the roots are rotting or not ... when I was wiping off the excess dirt I didn't feel and dried out roots that would snap if I broke them ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Stephie  Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 09:36 am EST :    Sometimes you can smell something wrong. It has a big enough root system. Wsh off the roots and re-plant in a different spot. Give this tree some fertilizer that helps prevent root shock. I kept planting a Kiwi in the same spot and all of them died....stopped doing it...and have a friend that went thru three Italian Plum trees that did exactly the same thing in the one spot. I even DUG out the soil and it didn't work....spooky. Stephie   Stephie  Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 09:37 am EST :    BTW...sometimes they get something that is systemic too....right throughout the tree. Stephie   Stephie  Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 09:46 am EST :    Sot anthracnose andspetoria (leaf spot) are what I am thinking of...and there are other fungi that it may have picked up from the nursery. Dogwoods also suffer if planted too deeply....too much nitrogen fertilizer...and they will lose too much water if in full sun...much prefer partial shade. They will also experience suffocation if back-filled over one inch after planting height has been established. Lots of people use too dense a mulch cover or figure a garden under the tree would look nice and put on more soil (this isn't the case with you though). So I have told you more now than I actually know.... Stephie   Spirittoo  Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 10:20 am EST :    Here ... I hope is a close picture ... but it not very good ... It isn't in the sun all day ... it gets shade in the morning and the afternoon ... it's in full sun from 10-4 ... also I may have had it planted too deep ... I really don't have a spot that gets a lot of shade ... other spots get similar amounts of sun ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Spirittoo  Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 10:22 am EST :    Also I felt the roots ... they were supple and could bend but would not break ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Growit  Supporting Member My Favorite Photo My Weather My Time Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 02:40 pm EST :    From your description and the pictures it does seem as if life is still in it. Just one more thing... which Cornus is it as some do prefer neutral to acid soil. If not an acid lover (or you may have acid soil anyway) do as Stephie suggested and wash the soil off then find a position where it does not get the hottest part of the day (12 til 3pm). It may just have been too hot for it before. Follow this for planting instructions http://www.rhs.org.uk/research/climate_change/trees_tips.asp Give it a full watering can in the hole to settle it in then leave it for a week. Water again with a full watering can full at the end of the week, unless it has rained, and leave it another week. If after that time there are no signs of life I think you will have to give up and take it back. Explain to the staff what happened and with any luck they will replace. Good luck I hope it grows again. Growit - Hants UK, Zone "8/9"   Spirittoo  Posted on Sunday, June 08, 2008 - 06:10 pm EST :    According to the tag ... it's a "Cornus florida var.rubra" ... what ever that means ... It's a pink dogwood ... Spirittoo - Ohio, Zone "?"   Treelover  My Favorite Photo My Garden Posted on Monday, June 09, 2008 - 02:56 am EST :    Yea var rubra implies there's some red in there. Rubra means red,or reddish. Treelover - County Durham,UK, Zone "8/9"   Growit  Supporting Member My Favorite Photo