How to help a sunset maple that is not thriving and has pale leaves. (Indianapolis)

[Scunnered74]

My neighborhood (in Indianapolis) is 10 years old and has 2 sunset maples planted in front of each home, between the sidewalk and street (we call them parkway trees).

Most of the sunset maples are thriving well, especially my neighbor's who has been deep root watering his. Mine have not grown in the ten years much at all. They are pale yellow/light-green in leaf color. Also, each summer the very top leaves at the top of the tree turn black on the outside of the leaves and curl a bit, but only a few leaves do this.

Can deep root watering help my parkway trees begin to thrive even after 10 years? I would like the trees to grow healthy and large with dark green leaves like my neighbors. His trees are about a year or two younger than mine but they are probably 3x larger.

I've purchased Ross' 'Green Again Root Feeder'. Do you think this will help? Should I fertilize the trees now or at another time? How often should I deep root water?

Any help would be appreciated! :msp_smile:

 

[Chud]

Pics would help, but watering in hot and dry periods is always a good thing. What do you mean by deep root watering? Do they have mulch under them?

 

[Scunnered74]

Deep root watering with the Ross' root feeder tool. It allows the water to go deep to the root. There is mulch under both trees.

View attachment 193932
View attachment 193933

Here are two photos. One of the tree trunk, and the other is a tree comparison (my tree to the right of photo, neighbors to the left).

Thank you!

 

[jamied]

Deep root watering with the Ross' root feeder tool. It allows the water to go deep to the root. There is mulch under both trees.

View attachment 193932
View attachment 193933

Here are two photos. One of the tree trunk, and the other is a tree comparison (my tree to the right of photo, neighbors to the left).

Thank you!

Check that it isn't buried too deep, look for any root girdling near the trunk.

Most trees have moderately shallow root systems contrary to what people think. Tree roots need air and water like any other plants roots do, thus they are generally concentrated in the top couple feet of soil. You will do a better job just throwing a hose on the ground and letting it run until it's saturated, just check it needs watering first.