Apple tree uprooted by landscaper 😞

Juniper4

Help needed please!!!
I hired a landscaper to do my garden and one of his young apprentice has accidentally dug up my sapling, apple tree. 😠
The apple tree was only planted in, at the end of autumn last year and it’s only established a few leaves recently. 
My husband is gutted and thinks that it’s not going to survive, as the young lad that dug it up didn’t leave enough soil round the plant. 😡
We think that the sapling had a shock to the roots, as the leaves are looking a bit wilted.
Plus when they put it back into the soil. They had to level off the surrounding area round the tree (now the tree is under 6inches of soil and then there was the use of compressor too).
I’m hoping with all my might that it’s going to survive the night. 🥺

pansyface

Take photos of damage done, find photos of condition before idiot child got to work, take copy of original receipt for apple tree, send in bill.

Lizzie27

Have you watered it well?  I shouldn't give up hope just yet. We had a similar mishap involving a major root of a young flowering cherry tree accidentally torn off by a mini digger with a big raw gash on the trunk. I asked the builders to stake it well and kept it well watered for a few months. The gash healed over, and the tree is still going strong.

Juniper4

Lizzie27 said:

Have you watered it well?  I shouldn't give up hope just yet. We had a similar mishap involving a major root of a young flowering cherry tree accidentally torn off by a mini digger with a big raw gash on the trunk. I asked the builders to stake it well and kept it well watered for a few months. The gash healed over, and the tree is still going strong.

Thank you for the reassurance. 
Yes, hopefully I’ve watered it in well. 
Just could believe that the young lad had uprooted it, even thou I did tell the landscaper initially when he came round to do the quote, that I didn’t want the young sapling to be touched. Part of me think it’s my fault for not reminding him.☹️

Guess I’ll have to see in the morning if it’s got worse.

Juniper4

pansyface said:

Take photos of damage done, find photos of condition before idiot child got to work, take copy of original receipt for apple tree, send in bill.

I don’t have any pictures of my plant. 😞

Lizzie27

Let us know if it survives, and don't worry, it may well take several weeks before it perks up.  

Skandi

You say it's under 6inches of soil? So you mean it's now 6 inches lower than it was? If the graft scar is now under the soil it needs to be dug up again (it won't have started to grow new roots yet) and replanted at the right depth, and then watered heavily and kept watered well until it goes dormant in the autumn.

Juniper4

Skandi said:

You say it's under 6inches of soil? So you mean it's now 6 inches lower than it was? If the graft scar is now under the soil it needs to be dug up again (it won't have started to grow new roots yet) and replanted at the right depth, and then watered heavily and kept watered well until it goes dormant in the autumn.

It was replanted back to the original level of the ground. But due to the design of our garden. The landscaper and his team had to put down extra 6 inches soil on top of the original ground level. 

What if the graft scar is not under the soil? 
What should I do then? 

BenCotto

Mistakes happen. The boy was foolish and no doubt inattentive but he’ll learn. A new tree will only cost about £30 so can’t you just come to some accommodation with the landscaper? I guess £30 is a very, very small % of the overall bill so ask the landscaper to do some small extra job for you and call it quits. If the tree survives you come out on top, if it dies just buy a new one.

Juniper4

@Picidae we are not looking at asking for the cost of replacing or deducting amount from cost of work. 
Im just asking is there any hope of survival. If so, what can I do. 
I know is a young sapling only planted down 6 months ago. Didn’t think it would survive the winter. Then when we saw the leaves shooting our hopes where lifted. 
Fingers crossed that it hasn’t been shocked too much for it to die. 

Juniper4

Lizzie27 said:

Let us know if it survives, and don't worry, it may well take several weeks before it perks up.  

Thank @Lizzie27 fingers crossed that it will survive. 
I’m thinking once the job has been completed that I’ll digging up about 4inch of soil from around the tree (circular mould ) and fill it with mulch. 🤔
Then see what happens from then.