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Last fall I planted a B&B (clay) Orido Nishiki. It leafed out well this spring. In late June I began to get some tip die back, but I didn't think it serious. It was not fertilized, I usually don't the first year. Watering was a scheduled once a week. We had a bad heat/drought spell beginning July 4th and ending last night ( rain wise). Supplemental water was all the water it had received. As all other JM's were doing fine with the same care I had felt safe. We left for a short vacation ( 8 days) and came home to what I thought was a severely sunburned tree, except this was located in shade with little direct sun. In the last few days I watched as limb after limb just died. Healthy green leaves just turned a funny brown, curled up and crisped. There was a small flush of new growth low on the trunk. I threw in the towel and dug it up. I cut close to the trunk with the shovel and popped it out of the ground. (A Sekemori is in its place.) I was curious about the root mass so I hosed off the clay. I was astonished and mad. When this was dug at the nursery all the major roots had been cut severely short. None was over 8 inches long. Then clay had been packed under and around to make it appear as though there was a decent sized root ball, when if effect there was little at all. The tree had tried in vain to produce roots to support the top but it just couldn't make up the deficit. The first photo is the total extent of the major root mass. All the major roots had been cut at the nursery, not by me!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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