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Pleached Tree Problem

drluvpantslI7mToqGdrluvpantslI7mToqG Posts: 3
in Problem solving

Hi All,

Looking for some advice to help with my tree problem. We bought 10 expensive pleached photinia red robin trees about a 1.5 years ago...sadly our gardener didn't have a clue about planting trees and clay soil and one died after about 6 months. I then replanted all of them myself removing the clay soil as best as possible and improving the drainage. Most of them are doing fine but one isn't....it was massively over watered by accident and I didn't remove enough clay soil and mulched too much etc - it went down hill a little compared to the rest i.e. slow growth and limp leaves etc. I took it out and sorted the wet soil, drainage and dryed it out....inpected the roots and they seemed ok. Question is whether I should remove the leaves to help the energy of the plant or just leave it alone? I dont want to feed it but seems to be getting into a poorer state each day. Thoughts appreciated.

Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Don’t remove the leaves, it will have no means of producing energy.
    I think it is suffering because it has been dug up.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I wouldn't think that over-watering would be a problem.  They are very close to the fence. It's hard to over-water a tree unless it's sitting in a pond.  Mulch with manure in the autumn and keep a close eye.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I really don’t understand how you can have ‘mulched too much’ … I don’t see why you think mulching would’ve harmed a tree. 

    @punkdoc … I would leave the tree alone to recover from the repeated planting and replanting. You may not see any signs of improvement for quite a while. It needs to get its roots established sufficiently to support what is already a substantial amount of growth. 

    I can see grass growing very close up to the base of the trees. This needs to be cleared away … it’s in competition with the trees for moisture and nutrition. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • drluvpantslI7mToqGdrluvpantslI7mToqG Posts: 3
    Thanks all. Much appreciated. They seems very sensitive to the elements. I will leave them along and hope nature does her best.

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @drluvpantslI7mToqG I have a large Photinia shrub in my garden the soil is clay and the border faces south. In the winter months when wet it can develop dark spots on the leaves I think this is a drainage issue.

    At present it has lost leaves, I think due to dry conditions and branches are slightly bare. I think it will be fine as this is what has happened before. 

    Photinias are tough. I do think you have done well to get most of them to establish in the circumstances. I know that the pleached form is used for privacy but it is asking alot of a plant of that height to settle it's roots. A small shrub will always grow and establish more quickly and maybe this is part of the problem.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • drluvpantslI7mToqGdrluvpantslI7mToqG Posts: 3
    GardenerSuze said:
    @drluvpantslI7mToqG I have a large Photinia shrub in my garden the soil is clay and the border faces south. In the winter months when wet it can develop dark spots on the leaves I think this is a drainage issue.

    At present it has lost leaves, I think due to dry conditions and branches are slightly bare. I think it will be fine as this is what has happened before. 

    Photinias are tough. I do think you have done well to get most of them to establish in the circumstances. I know that the pleached form is used for privacy but it is asking alot of a plant of that height to settle it's roots. A small shrub will always grow and establish more quickly and maybe this is part of the problem.
    very true about the height......it is asking a lot :-)
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