Knowledgebase
New Tree Leaves Drying Out/Dying #872890
Asked June 12, 2024, 10:30 PM EDT
I planted a bareroot Blackgold cherry tree almost 6 weeks ago. Initially it did great, had a flush of fresh leaves. Today I noticed the top leaves have dried out and the middle leaves are drying out and curling. My water monitor is 12 in long and says the soil is moist. I water it weekly. Is it overwatered? I dug out beside it and thr soil is moist but not wet.
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
It says wet.
Hi Carla,
Thank you for contacting us about your cherry tree. It's likely that it's not receiving enough water, and there may also be an issue with the way it was planted.
Please review the linked publication about caring for newly planted trees: Master Gardener Training (colostate.edu) . As you'll see, a newly planted tree should generally be watered daily for at least the first two weeks after planting. The fact that your water meter is showing that the soil is moist even though you're only watering once a week is concerning. You may want to check your watering systems/methods for leaks or unexpected emission; soil that's watered once a week should not be moist.
You may want to also review the linked publications regarding tree planting, paying close attention to the recommendations for bareroot trees, to see if your tree was planted according to the guidelines.
If you feel that your tree was not planted properly, you *could* dig it up and replant it according to the guidelines. If you decide to do this, it would be best to do it sooner rather than later, taking especial care not to disturb the roots as much as possible.
If you have any further questions you may reply to this email.
Elaine and Trish
