Planting failure - Opinions please.

[Mark J]

9 minutes ago, swinny said:

Hi Mark,

 

can you elabourate on this please? Are you saying you would have refused the tree? Or saying that it should have been planted in a different way?

 

cheers

I would have taken the time to assess the condition of the roots, their orientation, and likelyhood of successful establishment.  Root pruning if necessary, on a young tree that size shouldn't have too much of a detrimental effect.

 

Even on new woodland planting, if you take the time to plant things properly, you end up with a failure rate of 5% as opposed to nearer 15%  if you just stamp them into the ground.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Purchased from a reputable nursery Gary?

 

 

[Gary Prentice]

Not a big 'name', but a big supplier to the landscape industry up here.

 

But, like many they buy stock in.

[tree77]

If it didn't come into leaf then its likely to poor stock given the lack of roots, I know it was rootballed, but we don't know how long it was lifted/stored before it was rootballed. The roots probably have dried out?

[Marc]

3 hours ago, Mark J said:

I would have taken the time to assess the condition of the roots, their orientation, and likelyhood of successful establishment.  Root pruning if necessary, on a young tree that size shouldn't have too much of a detrimental effect.

 

Even on new woodland planting, if you take the time to plant things properly, you end up with a failure rate of 5% as opposed to nearer 15%  if you just stamp them into the ground.

Never checked roots before planting, but we have had a batch of Oak stock fail on a site before, like has been said there quite likely was issues with the stock.

 

having seen a few rootballs whilst it does look small we have planted far worse, that have established into fine trees over the years.

[Mark J]

I reckon it should be standard practice.  I'm looking for things to write a dissertation on and planting may be it.

 

[Marc]

32 minutes ago, Mark J said:

I reckon it should be standard practice.  I'm looking for things to write a dissertation on and planting may be it.

 

What should be standard practice?

[carlos]

how can you check the condition of the roots in a root balled tree without destroying the rootball?