A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Sour wood? Need help with planting

First off, let me apologize in advance. I am novice in gardening and in forums. A double whammy! This is probably posted in the wrong thread but here I go. I received a sour wood (I think...not certain) as a twig. I put it in a cup of water for about a month. It did not have any leaves and then it started to have leaves. The edge of the leaves started to turn brown so I planted it outside. Next day, the leaves were a lot browner and today, the third day, they look like they are going to die. Any advice? I wasn't sure if I should have planted in a pot or left it in the cup of water for longer. If there is any advice I would greatly appreciate it and thanks again for any replies. My apologies for being so new.

Ryan

Hello Ryan Your links are broken.Most of us use Photobucket to transfer our pictures here, Load pictures from your computer to Photobucket(Free) then click on your picture ,,, to the right of the screen you'll see a box with options to transfer,, Click on the Image line it will automatically copy, then you paste into your post here.

First I have to ask if the twig had roots on it yet? IF it did not it needed to be left in the water until roots develop.

Once the roots are at least 2 inches long, it can then be planted. It likes low-saline, acidic soil with a pH between 3.7 and 6.5 with consistent moisture and good drainage.
Also plant away from grasses and plant that have long roots as they can take over your planting area because it is a shallow rooted tree.
Be sure to plant away from other trees so it doesn't get shade, it loves the sun.
They also can be potted up and used for a patio tree, I think that would be very cool. oh and hardiness zones are 5-9a.

While I can't help you with your question about your plant - never heard of sour wood - I was able to see your pictures, which actually surprised me because as Diane wrote, most of us upload pictures on photobucket or another picture hosting site.

Lynne the sourwood trees are beautiful! The leaves turn with the seasons and blooms are so pretty You would love it,, google it and have a look see,, we have them here . A lot of new home owners are planting them as a focal point in their front yards,

I still cant see the picture I just get the top of it, I see grass and that's all

I googled it and they are beautiful. The flowers look very similar to 2 trees at the base of my neighbor's property that used to be woods - they are VERY fragrant in spring. But they do not turn flaming red in fall. Hmmm - wish the great nursery hadn't closed last year - I would take a few leaves there and ask. Oh, well...

http://s1115.photobucket.com/user/RTG37/library/


Okay, hopefully that worked. Thanks for the replies. The twig had roots around 2 1/2 inches long. I dug a hole added soil and water. Then I dropped in the twig and filled in with soil and water. I noticed the leaves look dry and are loosing their color. Is this normal with a transplant of such a young tree?

Odd part is, i was able to load his initial photos without issue; not sure why no one else was...

One of the problems is you have it in a patch of grass. Because it is a shallow rooted tree the grass roots with smother out the tree roots.
What kind of soil did you use to fill back in the hole?
You need a good organic soil, loaded with natural nutrients to help feed those roots.
Keep it watered daily ( water early in the morning,, never after ten am, as the sun will burn it up , and water at the base of the plant ,

personally I think what I would do is,, Put it in a pot with good drainage and let it grow to strengthen the "stock" and when it get thicker and stronger I would Then plant it in a area that is prepared a few days early with a good soil mix. I would go to my local nursery and get an acidic soil mix for this tree.

Something that just occurred to me - did you plant this out in full sun? Transplants can often wilt or get brown edged leaves if they are stressed when first planted. If it is in full sun, is it possible to shade it while the roots take hold?

James - I had said that I COULD see the original pictures too.


I just looked at the pictures again - your soil looks to be crumbly - not sure why? It also looks dry in the pictures. I think I would gently dig it up and replant in better soil as Diane said - what do you have to lose at this point? I would make sure the soil is more consistent, and I thought I had read that Diane suggested you add some peat to the soil, but cannot find that.

As Diane wrote, it would be wise to pot it up and baby it for a while. That is what I do with most of my baby plants. I also keep them under my second story deck for a week or 2 in diffused light until they get established, before placing them out in the hot blaring sun.

Yes, it is in FULL sun. I can always put it in a pot with shade until stronger. If the leaves fall off is it over or will the tree still be able to grow? The soil I used was garden soil I picked up. Perhaps I will go out and see if I can get some organic soil. When I do decide to transfer it back to the ground, how far back should I peel the grass. Maybe a 12in perimeter with mulch?

If when you dig it up the roots look healthy and plump, you can gently make a small scratch with your fingernail into the stem just below the outer layer. If you see green inside, it is still healthy. I would then pot it up in good soil and keep it shaded for a while - not dark shade but indirect sunlight - so the roots can acclimate to the new soil and start growing.

As for the grass, 12 inches doesn't seem like much. If you want this to grow into a nice sized tree, I would make it at least 2 feet diameter with the better soil filling that area. It will eventually need that much space to grow fully anyway. As Diane said, grass can smother a sapling tree.

I have many of my baby potted plants that are w/o leaves & such that come back. I even had a Red bud tree (Rabbit ate it off) that I thought was completely dead (no green in the stem----I was too busy to get rid of it----it is now a very healthy 8 inch tree----still a long way from being planted out on it's own---but alive non the less. I keep it next to my deck where it is protected from direct sunlight. Sometimes a little TLC & patience goes a long way.