New Autumn Purple Ash Wilting

[mwrobison]

We purchased and transplanted an autumn purple ash in our front yard about a month ago (Mother's Day). We noticed within the last week that some leaves are turning brown and wilting. This is our first tree planted so we have no experience whatsoever with them and wonder if we need to be concerned. At first we thought that maybe the tree was just in shock from the transplant, but thought it would be good to check on other possible problems before it gets worse. Here's everything we know about the tree:

1. The greenhouse/nursery we bought it from had it planted in quite sandy soil. Our ground is very, very heavy in clay.
2. We live in a high wind area, so the tree is constantly being buffeted with moderate to heavy wind from the north-east. Constantly being several times per week.
3. When we bought it and transplanted it, it was just barely budding for the year; very small green shoots.
4. The trunk is currently about 2" in diameter and I'd guess the tree is 15-18' tall.

We haven't had our lawn sprinklers on much yet this year: we have a very wet May (for Utah, anyway) and didn't do much direct watering of the tree either. The area the tree is in gets 15-min of lawn sprinkler watering two times per week right now, which we'll increase the three times when we start getting into 90-degree weather.

Attached are a couple of pictures, one of the tree itself, and then a close-up of the wilting/withering that we're seeing on quite a few of the leaves.

Is this something that we need to be concerned about, or is something that we should expect with a newly transplanted tree? We appreciate any thoughts anyone wan offer. Thanks.

Matt

 

[TreEmergencyB]

might need some more water than you think.

Also how well did you prepare your hole, and the ball/roots of the tree before you planted?

 

[mwrobison]

might need some more water than you think.

Also how well did you prepare your hole, and the ball/roots of the tree before you planted?

As for hole preparation, probably not enough looking back. We dug the hole through all the clay, and then backfilled some with a mix of good topsoil and pete moss.

Starting last week, we added some direct watering (small trickle for 30-45 minutes) twice a week.

 

[RacerX]

Do you have a photo of where the trunk meets the ground? Sometimes in very heavy clay the hole acts like a huge bucket that fills with water and can cause root rot.

 

[Ax-man]

Overall the tree looks good. The second pic looks like you have a case of anthracnose which is a leaf blight basically caused by a fungus on the surface of the leaves. Anthracnose is more of a disease of the the current seasons buds and last years twig growth than it is of the leaf of the tree but it gets classified both ways.

I wouldn't worry about it. Anthracnose comes and goes with the seasons. It is brought on by wet springs and rainy periods during the summer. You can spray for it but seldom is a spraying warranted. Anthracnose really does no harm to the tree unless total defoliation occurs for more than one growing season.

I have seen alot of this in our area this year due to our wet spring cool spring. Anthracnose hits maple trees mostly but it can affect most trees species at one time or another.

 

[mwrobison]

I've attached a few more pictures below. 8972 shows the trunk and the ground, 8973 is a close-up of the trunk where it hits the dirt, and 8974 is more of the leaves. It shows the coloring of the withered spots lightening up from the dark brown they were a few days ago... The withered brown spots seem drier now than they were last week: more brittle if that makes sense.

 

[Loraxguy]

ash

I would agree with the axeman-However we can't forget that the tree came from a tree friendy enviorment and is now planted in the real world a ittle transplant shock would be expected

 

[sgreanbeans]

Water- Many times I have seen field grown trees or bucket trees suffer when planted into a newer manicured lawn. The leaf damage looks like salt burn to me. A tree coming from a sandy soil with little to offer, to a clay soil that has been amended with potting mix can shock the tree a bit, in other words, when in Somalia, we were told not to give the kids our MRE's, even though they were starving, to much protein, would make them very ill. Same concept as to much nitrogen. If the tree was sitting in a clay bucket of water, it would have much more wilt and the leafs would be much more discolored. If possible, check the PH level in your yard. I agree, more water.

 

[mwrobison]

We have increased the frequency and duration of direct watering (leaving the hose to trickle at the tree base); 3-4 times per week now for an hour or two. It's planted on a slope close to the sidewalk, and we make sure we're not running water onto the sidewalk, which tells me it's seeping into the ground and not just running away. It seems to be helping.

I have also sprayed the entire tree a couple of times with a nozzle in case it is a fungus.