Johnnymac01

Thanks for your help, all. JM

Thanks for your replies, both. I know, it does look like a pot, but it's just a plastic ring the Council used - I assume to keep the mulch in? I'm in half a mind to ask them to replace it, being that I know nothing about pruning trees (and pay my rates, so surely I should get a decent tree! ). What do you both think? Is it bad enough to justify me asking for a replacement? Will it grow branches on the bare side in the near future? The thought of waiting a few years before seeing what it ends up like, and maybe then having to replace it and start again, is messing with my head.... JM

Hey all. Nice to be here. :) I'm a fairly new home owner, and have been slowly landscaping my own garden with Australian natives. I gotta admit I've been loving this process and have grown quite attached to my two Snow Gums that are coming along brilliantly. The local Council sent out a message a while back to let them know if we wanted a verge tree, and what sort (from a list), and they would plant it. I asked for a Smooth Barked Apple Gum, and finally it was planted - but it don't look so good. It has a reddish leaf blister quite badly, and the council tree guy said he would treat it and it would be fine. OK, I'm happy to give that some time and see. But the tree also looks like it's had a very hard time in early development, and leans heavily and has no branches/leaves on one side. The council guy said it was unfortunate that it came this way, but "As the tree grows lateral shoot and branch development will occur. Trees are positively phototropic and will grow towards the light, this will result in trunk straightening as the tree matures". What you do all think? Is this tree going to be not only unsightly as it grows larger but also a leaning danger during storms, etc.? I don't like to think ill of this tree, in that it's likely not its fault that it is like this. But I was so looking forward to an evenly balanced and beautiful (and safe) tree out the front! Perhaps important to know is that the camera is pointed directly south-west in the photo. That means the sun rises around left 45 degrees behind cam and sets around right 45 degrees forward of cam. In midday winter it is right 45 degrees behind cam. Any thoughts and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks heaps. JM