Problems with Newly Planted Sugar Maple-Advice?

mann.sumeer · July 2020

Hello all,

I recently had an inferno sugar maple caliper tree planted with a 2 inch caliper in Alberta Canada (the tree was grown in Manitoba Canada at Jeffries Nursery). This was planted at the end of June.

The person who planted it said the rootball was quite wet from recent rain and advised me not to water it the day it was planted. About 4 days later it got an inch of rain. The planter said if it rained an inch to skip the watering that week because maples don’t like overwatering. However, about half of the leaves have yellowed and wilted.

I had difficulty digging into the rootball to check moisture as it is clay essentially and I couldn’t stick my finger deep to check the soil (a screwdriver would go through it easily though) Thinking it may not have gotten enough water I gave it about 12 gallons of water on a slow drip a week after it was planted today.

I’ve attached some pictures from the tree at a week since planting but still unsure whether it’s been over or under watered as I have trouble getting into the clay from the rootball to check. My soil may not have the best drainage so I don’t want to overwater if it’s gotten enough from the recent rain.

Thanks for any advice or tips to nurse the tree back to health

Blue Onion · July 2020

Looks more like wind burn to me. My parents (in Pennsylvania) have a small forest of sugar maples growing fine on soaking wet to baked dry clay soil. You can have trouble if the hole was back filled with nice compost, the surrounding clay will drain water into the hole.. but not back out again. Hopefully it was backfilled with what was removed. Although the rootball may cause the same issue, but not much to do about that. Hopefully others who garden on clay have some better advice.

Problems with Newly Planted Sugar Maple-Advice?

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