japanese blueberry trees

mama2cc

well...i recently planted 3 japanese blueberry trees in my backyard (about 5 wks ago) and now they look sad...all 3 have thinned out considerably even tho i watered them 2x per day for 2 weeks and then let my irrigation system take over to water 3x per week. leaves are dropping...some are dry crisp brown leaves, some are perfectly happy green leaves that are dropping...

i live in houston and know lack of rain has been an issue, but the rest of my plants and trees look fine. any help is appreciated. would hate for 3 brand new trees to die....

thanks in advance!

Bowani Siam

Hi!
The problem could be a couple of things, so it would be great if you could post up a few pics. (Particularly a close-up of the leaves, and also the area where the trunks meet the soil)
If they've been planted in a hot and exposed area they could be undergoing transplant shock. Even if they are in an ideal location this is not uncommon for Elaeocarpus decipiens. Could also be overwatering. Depending on your soil type and drainage factors, the water could just be sitting around the roots and replacing the minute pockets of air in the rootball.

Is the pH correct? They can tolerate MILDLY alkaline soils. Was there a lot of root disturbance during planting process?

In any case, snip back a couple of the small branches and if they're still firm and green the trees will most likely recover, albeit slowly. !

mama2cc

attached are some pictures taken ths morning. the more decline i see in this tree, the more i think it's infected...the other 2 aren't this bad and this tree took marked decline in just 5 days.

btw - how do i test the pH of the soil? i had landscapers install the trees and they seem to have known wha thtey were doing.

Attached Thumbnails

     

Bowani Siam

Wow - that was quick with the pics!

Anyway, now that we have a clearer idea here, it looks more like dieback, not transplant shock. I was under the impression that the entire tree was droppin' leaves.

Dieback can be caused by a variety of problems. USA site:

IPM : Reports on Plant Diseases : Decline and Dieback of Trees and Shrubs

The branch/branches that look wilted, dull, discoloured or generally poor will not recover. You must remove them below infected area. (The tree may have a gap in it but it will fill out in time.) I would also recommend removing the mulch touching the trunk just to reduce the risk of collar rot. The use of a fungicide as a preventative measure is common, however I would suggest getting a more accurate diagnosis before taking that path. The dieback of your trees might not be caused by a fungal pathogen.

The good news is that the damage is minimal. If it was wilting all over they would be goners, but most of tree looks ok. It does have a few dropped leaves on the inside branches but that looks environmental (i.e. related to transplanting or weather). You have a whole growing season ahead so don't despair!

Checking pH is very easy, you can get a kit for use at home. Instructions on box. They cost about $15-$20 here. After seeing the photos I don't believe pH is a contributing factor.