Sick Catalpa

[bobland]

About 5 years ago, we had a Catalpa planted in our front yard. The tree was about 8 feet tall and didn't look so great. Shortly after the planing, the landscaper disappeared. Within a month, all the leaves dropped. We figured it was the stress of moving.

The next spring, the leaves came up very late. We have a lot of Catalpas in the area so we had a yardstick. After a couple of months, the leaves turned yellow and dropped. This happed for the next 3 years though the tree did appear to be healthier.

A mature Catalpa, about 25 feet tall, a mile away, was cut down because of power lines. Within a month, it sent out enough shoots to completely obliterate the trunk. Looks very healthy.

Can I do the same to mine and get similar results? The trunk is about 5" in diameter and the tree is about 15'.

Thanks,
Burt

 

[discounthunter]

have you tested your soil ,low iron can make leaves turn yellow and drop.

 

[bobland]

How do I test the soil?

 

[S Mc]

Burt, I would be reticent to coppice your Catalpa (cut down to the ground) in the hopes that it would send up suckers. The mature tree you gave as an example was presumably a healthy specimen and so had a lot of resources to put into regrowth. Yours may not have that.

Can you post pictures? I am wondering how this tree was planted, is it too deep? The Catalpa speciosa is "very tolerant of different soil conditions but prefers deep, moist, fertile soil; withstands wet or dry and alkaline conditions; sun or partial shade; withstands extremely hot, dry environments". (Info from Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants).

If you have a high alkaline soil, you may see a chlorosis that would be so severe as to cause early defoliation. But I am wondering if that is truly the case here. What other trees or landscape do you have? This might help give an indication of the soil type(s) you have.

There are basic soil testing kits you can purchase to give you a very general idea of the pH your soil has, but that is just a piece of the puzzle. There are also companies that will do a more comprehensive soil test that may be helpful, around here it costs about $35. However, again, this is just a piece of the puzzle.

Please post pictures of the whole tree and the base so we can hopefully help out a bit more.

Sylvia