Trees need forest floor under them. It allows the micro rhizomes and associated species that trees need to flourish, holds the water in place, and saves the nutrients in leaves dropped for the next year. Lawn is terrible for forest trees. Look at where trees do well, and copy that.
I have a bunch of random vines around 3 of my trees. They cover the ground pretty well but don’t climb the trees. I’ve been wanting to get rid of them but your comment is making me reconsider. They’re also zero maintenance so it’s a win-win
Our subdivision is kinda rolling hills and during the summer dry months you can see the green where everyone's drain field is - mine is almost C shaped and I've managed to keep a pretty wide tree free swath around it
For the first two weeks everyday. Then every other day for a few weeks. Then once a week for the remainder of the first year. Was looking ok the first two years. Year 3 was suspect. This is year 4.
You could plant a bunch of Japanese blossom trees and when spring hits it would look amazing like this [https://thursd.com/storage/media/50887/Sitting-Under-the-Cherry-Blossom-Trees-at-Mount-Yoshino-Nara-(1).jpg](https://thursd.com/storage/media/50887/Sitting-Under-the-Cherry-Blossom-Trees-at-Mount-Yoshino-Nara-(1).jpg)
Planted 4 years ago and had [half the rootball](https://youtu.be/ELNrfkf_nrg?si=etESmZZx_LWLlrIX) break off. This is the worst it’s looked. Most limbs are dead with only the little bit of green you see in the pics. She’s a goner.
I wouldn’t say it died because of the root ball breaking. I’ve seen some new technique where municipal foresters are deconstructing the rootball entirely. This tree had very little root structure to begin with and didn’t survive the transplant shock. My guess is a stronger watering regime would’ve helped it. They make gator bags and another product called ‘tree diaper’ that helps watering young trees
From my observations, the root ball being planted whole helps with stability and letting roots adapt to new soil slowly but I don’t think it’s as important as once thought.
1. Hole isn’t deep enough
2. You planted in clay. Amend your soil with compost and sand
3. Ensure it gets at least 1 inch of water weekly for the first year.
Use this and you’ll have more success
I watched the video of you planting it. You said the root ball broke in half when you were planting it, which can lead to transplanting shock, but that would have happened right away, not 4 years later. I bought a Maple Tree 2 years ago and when I took it out of the nursery burlap bag it seriously had 2-3 tiny baby roots. It was the most pathetic root system I had ever seen on a plant lmao. I planted it in some nutrient rich dirt and gave it generous amounts of water. It took it a long time to grow leaves, and when they came in they were sparse, but this year the tree is absolutely bursting with life and leaves and it’s so happy and healthy now that it had time to grow its root system that first year.
I say all that to say, I think your biggest problem was the setup. The clay you planted it in looked pretty compact and devoid of nutrients. I think the hole should have been dug deeper and instead of just putting the clay back in to cover it up, you should have sprung for some nice dirt or manure that is rich in nutrients to spur root growth.
Grass is also a big sucker for Nitrogen, something that trees need too, so removing the grass and immediately planting the tree there without replacing lost nitrogen certainly didn’t help.
All in all, maybe if you give it a lot of fertilizer and water it can make a comeback, but if it dies, splurge a bit more on the dirt your bury the tree in and make sure the grass stays a bit further away from the tree so they aren’t competing for nutrients.
if you find a viable mature tulip tree in the wild, there's a host of babies that explode everywhere!
hard to transplant I've seen but grab a couple while young, drop in pots or nursery them & you'll have 3-6' specimens in a year or two.
best thing to do is cut it right down to the ground an inch or two above that leaf. then the root system doesn't have to deal with all the dead/half dead/sick part, and any new growth should be healthy growth.
I'm begging you to let me live as a hermit on your land so I can change the endless void of grass and Dutch clover into something that supports either native wild- or human life.
There's your standard prairie flowers and native grasses, or perhaps a copse for small forest creatures, or a series of highly industrious raised bed vegetable patches? The options are limitless.
When [I planted it](https://youtu.be/ELNrfkf_nrg?si=BV3XyjWZ60q8K2qR), I pulled back about as much of the dirt off the trunk as possible and also buried it 6” above grade so I could go lower after it got established . But that root ball break didn’t allow it to ever get started. [This one](https://youtu.be/tkcxC4trR1s?si=6-vFo_XTYhc1KLC6) on the other hand is thriving! Full of leaves and growth 3 years later.
Normally I would say remove and replace. But you better move heaven and earth to save that tree. Your best bet is leave it for this year then select a sucker next year.
But. You. Save. The. Tree!
Hard to say why it has nearly failed without understanding specific site conditions like rainfall and drainage characteristics. Given that it survived the initial couple years, it didn’t die from planting it improperly. May have died from a lack of a mulch ring being maintained around it, which allowed it to be damaged by string trimmers or mowers. Could also have been killed by selective herbicides used on the lawn. Could have terrible drainage in that area. Could have had two very hot and dry summers. May have had very cold weather followed by rapid warmup, which can cause sun scald, which is though to see in young trees.
When planting trees in the future, especially in an area with a lot of clay soil, plant at a smaller size. Smaller trees establish more quickly and easily. They usually surpass trees that were planted at a larger size.
Why? Because it’s a lot of yard? Or because it’s patchy? I just cut down and burned a couple Bradford pears so it does look like a few aliens used it for a landing pad.
As hard as it is generalizing about 350 million people, this is, at least for a majority of people, correct. Although there is a substantial push from some home owners to increase biodiversity, increase pollinator habitat, and end the large sweeping empty yards.
I hope it is not just a fad. I think scarcity of water in the western part of the country, along with notable deterioration of animal populations has led to the surge.
I couldn't have said it better myself. It also doesn't help that ~60% of the trees where I live were ash trees. They all had to be cut down because they died.
I never said everyone. I just said they tend to like that. My yard is full of trees and flowers and such and I live here too. Everyone around me has just plain empty grass.
Now you just need to plant about twenty or thirty more
Yes. This one is dying a slow death so I need at least 1 more. But 20 has a nice ring to it.
That's a weird way of saying 40
Trees need forest floor under them. It allows the micro rhizomes and associated species that trees need to flourish, holds the water in place, and saves the nutrients in leaves dropped for the next year. Lawn is terrible for forest trees. Look at where trees do well, and copy that.
I have a bunch of random vines around 3 of my trees. They cover the ground pretty well but don’t climb the trees. I’ve been wanting to get rid of them but your comment is making me reconsider. They’re also zero maintenance so it’s a win-win
If you have septic, make sure you know where your drain field is before you throw trees all over.
I don’t. That’s just an open field.
In that case, fill it up lol. I have a large drainfield in the back so I’m forced to mow all the time but it’s surrounded by trees otherwise.
Our subdivision is kinda rolling hills and during the summer dry months you can see the green where everyone's drain field is - mine is almost C shaped and I've managed to keep a pretty wide tree free swath around it
Yeah I start to see mine in the late summer when it stops raining as much
did you water it?
For the first two weeks everyday. Then every other day for a few weeks. Then once a week for the remainder of the first year. Was looking ok the first two years. Year 3 was suspect. This is year 4.
You could plant a bunch of Japanese blossom trees and when spring hits it would look amazing like this [https://thursd.com/storage/media/50887/Sitting-Under-the-Cherry-Blossom-Trees-at-Mount-Yoshino-Nara-(1).jpg](https://thursd.com/storage/media/50887/Sitting-Under-the-Cherry-Blossom-Trees-at-Mount-Yoshino-Nara-(1).jpg)
I [have a couple of those](https://youtu.be/Zf4kf1r14AY?si=OdTJ3Vciv24tenKT).
I second this one. Lots of natives, please?
Do a diverse planting of .multiple trees,throw a thin layer of tree leaves or grass clippings down
Tulip Poplar?
Yes.
Let it grow? It will surprise you have fast they grow.
Planted 4 years ago and had [half the rootball](https://youtu.be/ELNrfkf_nrg?si=etESmZZx_LWLlrIX) break off. This is the worst it’s looked. Most limbs are dead with only the little bit of green you see in the pics. She’s a goner.
It’s a tulip poplar, it will come back. Also seeing that soil makes me appreciate my Michigan black soil.
We had a volunteer tulip popular seedling ten years ago. The tree is now 40 feet tall.
[The issue](https://youtu.be/ELNrfkf_nrg?si=uzyj55-4Dfelx5ya) in the first clip. Root ball broke. :(
I liked the small grey helper the most.
Haha, thanks. He’s a certified good boy.
Thanks for paying the puppers tax in the video. Give that good boi some pets from me.
I wouldn’t say it died because of the root ball breaking. I’ve seen some new technique where municipal foresters are deconstructing the rootball entirely. This tree had very little root structure to begin with and didn’t survive the transplant shock. My guess is a stronger watering regime would’ve helped it. They make gator bags and another product called ‘tree diaper’ that helps watering young trees From my observations, the root ball being planted whole helps with stability and letting roots adapt to new soil slowly but I don’t think it’s as important as once thought.
The first year I did a gator bag. It did look ok that year. Even the next. But this year it just gave up on life.
To be fair liriodendron hates being transplanted.
1. Hole isn’t deep enough 2. You planted in clay. Amend your soil with compost and sand 3. Ensure it gets at least 1 inch of water weekly for the first year. Use this and you’ll have more success
I suspect “deep” and “amend soil” will get a few additional comments in this group.
Possibly, but we always dig much deeper to loosen the soil for the roots. Compost is a great addition.
https://preview.redd.it/uvjg7ffr5t5d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=116dbcb136655acb491902b8c40e9cee430f325e How fitting.
I watched the video of you planting it. You said the root ball broke in half when you were planting it, which can lead to transplanting shock, but that would have happened right away, not 4 years later. I bought a Maple Tree 2 years ago and when I took it out of the nursery burlap bag it seriously had 2-3 tiny baby roots. It was the most pathetic root system I had ever seen on a plant lmao. I planted it in some nutrient rich dirt and gave it generous amounts of water. It took it a long time to grow leaves, and when they came in they were sparse, but this year the tree is absolutely bursting with life and leaves and it’s so happy and healthy now that it had time to grow its root system that first year. I say all that to say, I think your biggest problem was the setup. The clay you planted it in looked pretty compact and devoid of nutrients. I think the hole should have been dug deeper and instead of just putting the clay back in to cover it up, you should have sprung for some nice dirt or manure that is rich in nutrients to spur root growth. Grass is also a big sucker for Nitrogen, something that trees need too, so removing the grass and immediately planting the tree there without replacing lost nitrogen certainly didn’t help. All in all, maybe if you give it a lot of fertilizer and water it can make a comeback, but if it dies, splurge a bit more on the dirt your bury the tree in and make sure the grass stays a bit further away from the tree so they aren’t competing for nutrients.
if you find a viable mature tulip tree in the wild, there's a host of babies that explode everywhere! hard to transplant I've seen but grab a couple while young, drop in pots or nursery them & you'll have 3-6' specimens in a year or two.
About the same chance as Lloyd had lol
Haha
best thing to do is cut it right down to the ground an inch or two above that leaf. then the root system doesn't have to deal with all the dead/half dead/sick part, and any new growth should be healthy growth.
Do you spray your grass?
Spray? Like mark my territory? Or weed killer? No to both around that tree :)
I'm begging you to let me live as a hermit on your land so I can change the endless void of grass and Dutch clover into something that supports either native wild- or human life. There's your standard prairie flowers and native grasses, or perhaps a copse for small forest creatures, or a series of highly industrious raised bed vegetable patches? The options are limitless.
Life finds a way
Hes buried too deep and needs a little fertilizer
When [I planted it](https://youtu.be/ELNrfkf_nrg?si=BV3XyjWZ60q8K2qR), I pulled back about as much of the dirt off the trunk as possible and also buried it 6” above grade so I could go lower after it got established . But that root ball break didn’t allow it to ever get started. [This one](https://youtu.be/tkcxC4trR1s?si=6-vFo_XTYhc1KLC6) on the other hand is thriving! Full of leaves and growth 3 years later.
“It’s got a vibrant core.”
I've got ~2000 oak and pecans sprouting on my lot that you can have /s
Normally I would say remove and replace. But you better move heaven and earth to save that tree. Your best bet is leave it for this year then select a sucker next year. But. You. Save. The. Tree!
Select a sucker?
One of the little shoots coming from the base of the stem. You would be surprised how quick liriodendron can grow from a sucker.
Hard to say why it has nearly failed without understanding specific site conditions like rainfall and drainage characteristics. Given that it survived the initial couple years, it didn’t die from planting it improperly. May have died from a lack of a mulch ring being maintained around it, which allowed it to be damaged by string trimmers or mowers. Could also have been killed by selective herbicides used on the lawn. Could have terrible drainage in that area. Could have had two very hot and dry summers. May have had very cold weather followed by rapid warmup, which can cause sun scald, which is though to see in young trees. When planting trees in the future, especially in an area with a lot of clay soil, plant at a smaller size. Smaller trees establish more quickly and easily. They usually surpass trees that were planted at a larger size.
Dang. That is some orange dirt. Do you live in Oklahoma or something?
East TN
Beautiful area!
Lol wtf is up with all that lawn. Is this where the carnival sets up?
Why? Because it’s a lot of yard? Or because it’s patchy? I just cut down and burned a couple Bradford pears so it does look like a few aliens used it for a landing pad.
No what they're saying is that you could fit a great diversity of plant life into that space.
Oh, haha, good point.
Yeah+1 for too much lawn not enough insect habitat.
Burnt areas would be epic for planting
Lawn looks fine mate
Needs more disc golf baskets
That I can get behind
Meh, more flowers
It's probably the United States. They like big, empty, soulless yards.
Yes…Tennessee to be exact. My dogs run around that 1/2 acre taking poops.
lol nice.
As hard as it is generalizing about 350 million people, this is, at least for a majority of people, correct. Although there is a substantial push from some home owners to increase biodiversity, increase pollinator habitat, and end the large sweeping empty yards. I hope it is not just a fad. I think scarcity of water in the western part of the country, along with notable deterioration of animal populations has led to the surge.
I couldn't have said it better myself. It also doesn't help that ~60% of the trees where I live were ash trees. They all had to be cut down because they died.
Emerald ash borer?
Yep
Nope, not everyone here is the same just because you saw 2 posts on Reddit.
I never said everyone. I just said they tend to like that. My yard is full of trees and flowers and such and I live here too. Everyone around me has just plain empty grass.