Contaminated Soil

[ninnymary]

I have been wondering if my soil is in fact actually contaminated. In another post, I posted how my apple tree's branch tips were dying/drying out. After a couple trips to the nursery, I was under the impression that I had some type of fungus in the soil. They recommended that if I planted another tree there to put it in a wine barrel. They said nothing else would grow there.

Well my husband commented to me that the soil was very dry when he dug the tree up. I didn't get to see it and he evened the soil out and temporarily placed the new tree (with the nursery container) in the same spot.

Now, I beginning to wonder if I didn't water the tree enough. I admit I wasn't deep watering it. I would water it about once a week but lightly. It had baby tears growing around it so I thought it was getting enough water. I have recently made a trench around my plum tree which is about 6 ft. away. I noticed the next day, that it looked much different. I thought the way it looked before with alittle droopy branches/leaves was the way it should look. I had cut back on watering because I had lost most of the fruit.

If the tree was underwatered, what should it have looked like? Other than the dryed tips, the rest of the branches and leaves looked fine.

I am tempted to plant the new tree right in the ground but not sure if I should.

Any comments/opinions?

It is alittle overwhelming for me to contact the university and have a soil test sample done.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Mary, I think I would want to rule out the presence of verticillium for certain before I replanted.

Getting a test done won't be difficult, just call your ag extension and talk to someone about the procedure. Don't let the idea of it overwhelm you.

I included a link to the U of Minn. information on VW. It's helpful to understand what you might be dealing with.
On the other hand you may not have it at all since there are a lot of things that could have caused your tree to fail.

Deep watering of trees is really important because you want those roots to reach down for the water and not start forming a lot of surface roots.

It doesn't sound to me like that was your problem though, since a lack of water would make all the leaves wilt.

Here's the link: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1164.html

Oh, and it's interesting that the chart lists apple as resistant to VW.

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks Thistle, I have managed to find my co. extension office thru the internet with my limited skills! Yea! There was a phone number so I've left a message. I hoping I'll hear back and that I can have my soil tested without it being too much trouble.

I think I'll wait a couple days and then send an email if I don't hear from them.

I'm just questioning wheter it's verticillum or something else since my plum tree appears to be fine. I hope it is resistant to it. Guess I have to do more research, yuck!

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

Oh geez, I just saw on that link that plum is NOT resistant to verticillium but that apple is. Doesn't make sense.:/

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Well, "resistant" may not mean that it can't get it, just that it probably may not. Also some plants can have it and not show it.

 

[catjac1975]

Sounds like a water problem.