Baby Acer - Foliage Close-up 4, Day 4 from planting, 25.9.12

Ken - We aren't slandering them... We're mearly letting other users know our experience so they can make an informed decision and if the stock is worth the price. I've ordered a good 150 plants in the last 2 years. I've ordered from new places and I've ordered from same places over and over again. Out of the 150 plants 10 where from them. They were so distorted looking and ugly that I had to get my money back. No responce through e-mail and when you call they want to give you credit on a future order. I planted 6 of the 10 plants if I can recall... Of the 6 planted only 1 didn't make it... 2 still look great... that leaves me with 3 others in the ground and 4 in 1 gallon containers. A total of 7... you still follow? I ripped the 3 out of the ground... then I took the 4 in 1 gallon containers and tossed them in the burning pile. Most didn't make it, not because of stress or planting, but because I couldn't stand looking at them each time I walked around lol. I understand that their will be some degree of failture when planting, but some plants aren't worth planting to begin with. If someone is going to ask about this company... I will tell them my experience... You don't send someone plants that look like this and offer them store credit on future orders... I know they trapped Whaas in the endless cylce until he finally had enough. I think he ordered from them 3-4 times and each time he called and they gave hime store credit for future use. Frankly, I haven't had a problem with ANY other company... all stock has been healthy. I've placed probably 15 orders through 4-5 different companies in the last two years. Some stock was expensive, some not so much, some cheap. They fall in the mid price range. I did have one bad plant of the 50 I bought over the past two years from SongSparrow. one plant I just had a concern with. I didn't want a replacement... I just called to let them know just incase it turned south after planting. They told me not to worry about it and to go ahead and plant it. In the meantime they will send a replacement just incase that it didnt. Now mary can make her own judgement on this company once she receives the plants. Who knows she may receive great looking plants. If she does I hope she will post a positive review... if she doesn't I hope that she will post a negative review. Whaas got from them looked pretty nice... it all just depeds on their stock at the moment. I'm more upset with customer service and how they handle replacements then the plants themselves.

The first thing trees do when stressed is to loose leaves. They dry and fall off. There is a chance that it is still alive. Scratch the bark with your finger nail, if you see a green under the bark, there is hope. Forget the fertilizer, water well then allow to dry, watch everyday. Stick your finger in soil, when it is dry water. It looks like it was planted in a pot that was too small. It should have been transplanted long ago. The small pot easily dried out esp. if it was hot for a long time. I will also say that if it does live, to go to the container forum and read about making some potting soil that will last a long time. The stuff in the bags at the garden centers is ok for a shirt time, but will not do well over a long period of time. At some point if you do fertilize do not give it the does recommended on the bag, make a weak version and use it regularly. Use 1/4 strength, - on regular basis. Wait until you see new growth before you fertilize. LOL - Mike

It appears to be some delayed transplant shock - not fatal but not necessarily a good thing, either. First, you already know this but I'm going to repeat........planting a JM in June in a hot summer climate that is undergoing an extended drought is just not a great idea. Period. The tree is put at an immediate disadvantage by doing so. A reaction by the tree to this stressful situation should not be unexpected. Second, I know it seems counterintuitive, but pruning off the roots is exactly what you should NOT have done. Those fine feeder roots are how the tree accesses soil moisture and nutrients - the larger roots are only for anchorage. So the tree is now working on a second disadvantage - trauma to the rootball (JM roots are very sensitive to disturbance) and a lack of feeder roots. What I'd suggest you should have done is remove as much of the soil on the top of the rootball as possible to expose the burlap, cut any ties (and gently remove) and then unwrap the burlap surrounding the trunk and remove as much from the top of the rootball as possible, leaving the sides - with fine roots growing through - intact. Cutting off these roots has given the tree a major setback. In fact, the nursery I am associated with now nullifies their guarantee policy if removal of the burlap disturbs the rootball excessively......it is that much of a disruption to the plant, especially during the middle of the growing season. Finally, I'd want to know about your watering routine. Using an automated sprinkler system to water a newly planted tree is usually not a great idea. In fact, I discourage it. Most systems come on for a few minutes once or twice a day - this is not enough water for a new tree, particularly one of that size. And you can't tell just by looking at the surface of the soil or even down a couple inches if the soil is adequately moist down to a sufficient depth - it may appear adequately moist on the surface but be dry as a bone further down. Watering by hand, with the hose on a low trickle, for an extended period of time as often as necessary is a much better approach. The water needs to penetrate down into the soil profile at least to the depth of the bottom of the rootball and only low and slow will accomplish this sort of irrigation. A drip system or soaker could accomplish the same thing, but not a sprinkler system. So you've planted at possibly the worst time of year, you've cut off a major portion of the tree's feeder roots that supply its moisture needs and your watering program is not very suitable. Not a huge surprise the tree is reacting poorly :-) All you can do at this point in time is correct your watering practices and hopefully adequate water and cooler fall temperatures will encourage some new root development. I believe this to be recoverable but it may not be obvious until next spring and how well the tree leafs out at that time. Did it come with a warranty?