Help with a dawn redwood tree!!!

[Josh Westray]

First timer here !
Little background to the tree since planting.
I have a dawn redwood tree that was newly planted this April in Illinois (zone 5). It is about 8ft tall and was balled and burlaped from a local nursery. The soil is close to the same if not the same as where it was planted. I have been watering it on a regular basis (about 40gals per week) with additional rains. We have been pretty wet here also for this time of year here. No fertilizer has been added.

So below you will see the pictures I have added. When planted it looked great and perfect. As of the last two weeks it has started to look like the pictures show. New growth has started to wilt and look olive in color.

As far as weather goes we have had mild spring with lots of rain and temps have been from all over the place. Lows as of recent 38° to highs around 86°. With winds blowing at all time around 20mph or higher. Last two days 40mph winds.

I'm not sure what's wrong with it and need help. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance!

KIMG0242

• Josh Westray
• May 22, 2019

KIMG0243

• Josh Westray
• May 22, 2019

 

[Josh Westray]

Well looks like everyone is as stumped as I am. Thanks for the help anyways

 

[ATH]

Sorry...didn't see this earlier in the week.

My first thought is too much water. 40 gal per week...is that all at once or spread over a few days?

Assumimg IL has been like the rest of the region, probably hasn't needed any watering. Dig a small hole next to it and see if it is wet down there

 

[Josh Westray]

Sorry...didn't see this earlier in the week.

My first thought is too much water. 40 gal per week...is that all at once or spread over a few days?

Assumimg IL has been like the rest of the region, probably hasn't needed any watering. Dig a small hole next to it and see if it is wet down there

That's no biggie just at a lose at what could be wrong.

I did dig a hole yesterday and it does seem to be pretty wet. The hole didn't fill with water but it was really really muddy almost hard to dig.

We have been getting lots of rain more then normal about 1" every couple of days.

When I did water the tree I was doing about 20 gals twice a week. If it hadn't rained. With a total of 40gals.
The tree hasn't got any worse then what the pictures show tho so that's good.

Any other advice would be great. Thanks

 

[stevephillips]

I'm not a tree professional and can't be much help, except to say I've got a Dawn Redwood at my house, probably 10 years old. So far as I can tell, there's no such thing as too much water for them. My basement sump pump empties to a perf line right by mine and it is thriving. Only trouble I've had is a little winter kill to the top after one very cold winter, but it didn't matter in the long run.

 

[ATH]

Any tree can get too much water. Some are more tolerant than others. Dawn redwood is one of the more tolerant...but it isn't bald cypress in that regard.

Roots need oxygen. When all of the pore spaces are filled with water (definition of saturation in soil science), there is no oxygen available. Wilting from saturation is similar to drought except saturation tends to be more yellowish while drought tends to brown more quickly. Kinda like the color of those needles.

A tree whose roots are not well established is certainly more susceptible than one that has been able to thrive before being subjected to the conditions.

There could be some root decay going on as well, but that is likely tied to the saturation. Quit watering unless it really needs it (check that the soil is dry). 20 gallons each time is good. I'd plan on keeping that schedule, BUT eliminate one watering for each 1/2" of rain within a week. So 1/2" rain means (1) 20 gallon watering. 1" within a week (even if all at once) means none.

 

[Josh Westray]

Any tree can get too much water. Some are more tolerant than others. Dawn redwood is one of the more tolerant...but it isn't bald cypress in that regard.

Roots need oxygen. When all of the pore spaces are filled with water (definition of saturation in soil science), there is no oxygen available. Wilting from saturation is similar to drought except saturation tends to be more yellowish while drought tends to brown more quickly. Kinda like the color of those needles.

A tree whose roots are not well established is certainly more susceptible than one that has been able to thrive before being subjected to the conditions.

There could be some root decay going on as well, but that is likely tied to the saturation. Quit watering unless it really needs it (check that the soil is dry). 20 gallons each time is good. I'd plan on keeping that schedule, BUT eliminate one watering for each 1/2" of rain within a week. So 1/2" rain means (1) 20 gallon watering. 1" within a week (even if all at once) means none.

Thank you for the help. I will use your watering advice and go with that.

It does seem like I was over watering it after seeing the hole I dug and looking at the soil.

I will keep this updated as the summer goes by good or bad.

Thanks for the help