Photinia red robin pleached tree dying - HELP

jene3000

Hello 

I was hoping someone could help.  I bought 4 pleached Photinia Red Robins in March 2022 and they were planted in a row. 

Soil is clay but I have used 2 ton of soil improver.
I have had field drains fitted along the back of the fence and flowing down towards the house/second field drain.  

The 4 trees have been fine until the last two months where one has started to wilt.  The other 3 have thrived

I have contacted the company, fed and watered them all the same. Fed them with fish, blood and bone when planted, fed after that with bone meal and watered them regularly.  

I am at a loss as to how one of the 4 trees is almost dead.  Can anyone help?  Is this something I can revive?  

I thought about removing it, and planting it in a pot to see if I could revive it.  Is this an option?

AnniD

It may be that it's shedding leaves to cope with the stress of the recent hot weather,  but sometimes a plant can die for no apparent reason, even when it's been treated exactly the same as others.
How much water have you been giving it and how often? 

If you could give your location (just a rough idea will do), that may help with advice. 
Welcome to the forum 

Dovefromabove

It might give us more clues if we could see photos of the base of the tree and where it’s growing, and also photos of the other trees too, so we can compare and contrast. 

jene3000

Thank you @Dovefromabove and @AnniD for you replies. I am in south Northumberland. 

I’ve been watering the trees once a week properly and they get a quick water when I water the other plants at the base. 

I hope these photos help and thank you for replying. I really appreciate it. 

AnniD

No worries 
Sorry to keep bombarding you with questions, but when you say watering properly, how much do you mean ? A 10 litre watering can full or something like that ?
Have you had any response from the company? 

jene3000

@AnniD no need to apologise for asking questions, I wasn't sure how much information to provide so thank you for keeping me right. 

I use a hose pipe and water for 30 seconds per plant/tree around the area depending on how dry the area has been.  All trees have been watered the same. 

The company has been asking me questions like how much have I watered it. Askes me to use Bone Meal to feed as well as Pow Humus.  They have now offered me 50% off another tree after a lot of back and forth. 

I have done the scratch test on the trunk, both at the top and bottom and there is green exposed.  

Dovefromabove

In the recent period of drought and high temperatures I would give recently planted trees at least a full bucket of water each every other day ... possiby more.  

Nollie

Could it be that the suffering tree is slightly more exposed than the others and has been caught by cold weather early on (the damage may not show immediately) or scorching sun or drying winds later? Sometimes there can also be differences in soil make-up, dryness or drainage even in areas very close together. As you scratch test shows it’s alive, I would persevere and it will hopefully spring back to life next year. If it doesn’t, maybe then take up the supplier’s offer, or argue for a full refund/replacement.