Redbud tree not doing well in La Jolla, CA.

I need some advice for my little Redbud tree. We live in La Jolla, CA (north end of San Diego), about 2 miles from the ocean. Last March we planted a Western Redbud tree (either Mexican or Oklahoma variety) on our front bank. It has good drainage; full sun all day. It did well for a while with 7 minutes of watering every other day. Then the leaves began to look burned on the tips. In July, we cut back the watering to 5 minutes of watering, 3 days a week. It is getting worse, with most of the leaves leaves yellowed, burned or dropped. By the way, there is another 2 year old Redbud on the same front bank, same watering schedule, which is thriving. I am afraid it is done for, but if anyone has a suggestion for saving it, I would appreciate your advice.

Well, we did a major tree planting project at my school, choosing native trees for their very low water needs, to provide native habitat, and as teaching tools. We watered them about once a week by hand for the first six months, then we went on summer break where they got nothing. They are thriving now, and need no supplemental water. This is a very heavy clay soil that had been baked under an unfriedly asphalt play yard (of course we broke it up and improved the soil - but not as much as I would have liked to see). Maybe your tree is okay without supplemental water.

Another thing I learned about native trees in general is that they often resent summer water (if you stop to think about it, how much rain do they get in the wild during the summer?), which can cause root rot.

I hope that I have helped with this information.
Jeff

Do you have sandstone, sandy soil where you are in La Jolla? Try what J.man says, but also check for gopher activity.
WIB,
SW

I have a feeling it's not really a western redbud--I have never heard of an Oklahoma variety, but the "Mexican variety" you're referring to is probably C. canadensis var. mexicana, so it's more closely related to the eastern redbud (C. canadensis) than the western redbud (C. occidentalis). There's also a Texas variety (C. canadensis var. texensis). Because of that, it should be able to do fine with summer water (and probably needs some), but you might try doing the "finger test" to see how wet things are before the next time you water--even something that needs some summer water isn't going to appreciate staying too wet, and it's possible the area around that tree doesn't drain quite as well as the area around the other one.

Also, you still might consider modifying your irrigation schedule--deeper less frequent watering is better for plants than frequent shallow watering so I think this one and your other redbud will be healthier in the long run if you water for longer periods but less often--that makes sure water really soaks down deep into the ground and encourages their roots to grow deep too.

The redbud is the OK state tree, and it may have been a seedling transplanted here. The dirt here is way different than OK dirt.
ecrane is right, try watering less frequently. Drip irrigation is the way to go out here.
Hope you have the Mexican Variety, as it will be more likely to withstand our "climate".
Do you have photos? It would help to identify the type of redbud.
Depends also on your microclimate. Water less and see what happens.
Please keep us posted.
Thank you!
WIB!
SW

Many thanks to you all for your suggestions regarding my redbud tree. I looked at the little tree early this morning and believe it has expired. The consensus seems to be 'too much water'. When we take it out, I will post a comment on what the roots look like.

Ecrane3: It is, indeed, labeled an Oklahoma Redbud, which was stocked at Armstrong Nursery here in San Diego. Was told it would do very well in our climate??!

SingingWolf: Our soil is typical So. Calif. adobe, but has been amended many times. It is fairly loose and rich now, not like Oklahoma's dense "red earth". If we replace the tree, will definitely try the Mexican variety and a dripline...and no gophers that we know of.

Jungleman: Your successful school project gives me courage not to water so often next time.

Darn, I was hoping it would survive. Being from OK, I was hoping that someone had successfully grown them here. Sorry for your loss. : - (
The problem(?) with your area is all the micro climates. What works a few blocks over may not work for you. Best of luck with your next tree.
WIB,
SW

Just a note here - most CA natives don't really like drip. We do use soaker hoses in some places, but only because I can't stand there long enough to give a group of plants a deep watering! ^_^ We also have a strip of low whirlybird sprinklers I got from Tree of Life Nursery that do a good job for some plants. Deep and infrequent is usually the name of the game in our neck of the woods - even summer dry for some plants.

http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/easywatering.htm

We usually water the Monterey pines, using drip irrigation, once a week, for several hours at a time. They're planted in mostly dg.
Around the house and on an auto timer would be hard. I lost or almost lost several plants in the gh, that require less frequent watering DH had them set up to be watered nightly. I moved them out to the courtyard where they are very happy. I do have to hand water them, but only when they go really dry.
Sometimes I let the hose drip for a few hours on a particular plant, especially when I first transplant. Then I watch the plant and take my cues from it.
Do you guys do that too?
WIB!
SW

What you have is most likely Cercis reniformus "Oklahoma"...so yes, there is an "Oklahoma Redbud" and the tag is correct.

Yours may still have some life left in it yet, so don't dig it up yet until it adjusts to the new less frequent watering. Try bending one of the twigs...if it snaps it may be a goner...but if it bends, it may come back.

SW, we were told to water the heck out of any new plantings. It's hard here, though, because we have some spots that just don't drain well at all - it's like the plants are in pots in the ground! We should be making bricks. LOL

We deep water our apples, too, but since they are doing so poorly, I wonder if that is the wrong thing to do. I get so confused!!! :-)

Gardening in So Cal is different depending on where you live.
KC, it might help with all the clay you have to add some decomposed granite (dg) or even some sandstone, for drainage, after you've have dug the hole and sweeten it by adding some decent dirt. Thing is that you have to dig both deeper and wider than is normal for the pot size. It really is like potting them in a way, but given enough time and space, the plant eventually grows into the surrounding soil.
When you have the whole about a third bigger than you'd normally plant that size plant in, you'd then add some good drainage and dirt.
I made my own last time using a combination of sterilized field dirt, some of the loose dg, and some really good dirt, I'd been growing worm people in. Started a couple of different trees that way in almost solid dg.
I think you will probably need to build a compost pile (if you don't have one already), and start making your own dirt. Then have your sweetie build you some raised planters to put the good dirt in so it doesn't go downslope, and plant some more plants. Once they are established or hardened off, however you want to look at it, they will thrive with less water. I look at all my plants for drooping leaves, burned leaves as those are usually the first signs that the plant needs more water.
JasperDale, thanks for your knowledge. I've got a pine tree I want to take out, since it is dying in stages. I might replace it with a redbud.
You are so right that sometimes plants do revive if you don't water them as much. Another one people love to water to death are orchids. I try to ignore mine. I like well behaved plants that thrive on benign neglect. : - )
Still pulling for that redbud to survive Durham57. : - )
WIB,
SW

Yep. :-)

I hope it is able to recover--I've been amazed at some of the things I thought were completely dead but somehow they managed to come back. If it doesn't make it though, does your Armstrong have a guarantee on their plants? The one up here does so if you saved your receipt you should be able to get your money back.

I'm also 2 miles from the beach (10b) and have had a Western redbud in the ground for at least 10 years. I also had problems with it yellowing badly after I put in a birdbath with a dripper and the overflow started flowing toward the redbud. I put in a plant saucer/catcher dish under the birdbath for the overflow, drilled a hole in the side of the dish and put a tube in the hole to direct the overflow into our pool nearby.

It worked! The redbud stopped yellowing and has been healthy ever since. The lesson, I guess, is that (after they're established) they really don't like a lot, if any, supplemental water.

Also being two miles from the beach, I wondered why it didn't bloom a lot, unlike when we bought it from an inland nursery. A couple of years ago, I finally found out why when I read that the moderating influence from the ocean tends to keep them from being so floriferous. Ah-ha! This last spring, it bloomed more heavily than it ever has since we've had it. The hummingbirds were very happy. I believe it's because it was colder than usual this last winter for our area.

I recently visited the Huntington Beach tree society "urban garden" and the director pointed out an Oklahoma redbud which she said seems to bloom more heavily in our zone than the Western. I don't know, I haven't had personal experience with that tree, but that's what I was told.

Good info! I would like to plant another one and you just reaffirm the fact that they do fine with minimal water. I've hardly watered ours at all this year. And I do remember having more blooms after that freeze several years ago.

Cool, I'll have to add it to my tree list! : )
WIB!
SW

Well, the Redbud tree is hanging in, but just barely. We snipped a couple of twigs (too young to have real branches) and they were still green. The water has been cut way back for a week, and now the soil around it is bone-dry. We are leaving it in the ground to see what develops. I will give it some light water before going away for two weeks. We try to be optimistic about what we find upon return.

Ecrane3: If it does not survive, Armstrong Nurseries does have a guaranteed replacement. As a black-thumbed gardener, I keep all receipts!

I'm still pulling for your redbud! I'm sure it will be happy to be ignored while you are gone. : - )
Glad you can get a new one or your money back!
WIB!
SW

If it's green, I'm betting it'll pull through. It doesn't need water, however, once it's established--but see my note below. SW's right, it will probably be happy to be ignored while you're gone.

Most trees, in general, like to be watered more deeply, less often. If it's only been in the ground for a short time, try giving it a slow, deep soak (if you're on a slope make sure the water isn't just running off) and then let it dry out and soak it again every week to week 1/2 or so until the rain starts and then back off. It should be fine. The leaves may still look icky for now until they drop, but it should reward you with nice growth in the spring. Even natives need some water to get established and the deep soak/dry out method works for most of them. If you planted it in the heat of the summer, that could also be a reason why it appeared to be struggling.

Let us know how it's doing when you get back.

We have returned after two weeks away. The redbud looks awful...no leaves at all, and I think it is too early for leaves to drop. The other two trees in our yard still have their leaves. We snipped a couple of twigs and they are still soft and a bit green, so we have faint hope for our tree. If I knew how to post photos, I would put one up. On the other hand, maybe best that you all do not see it.

If it's stressed it would make sense the leaves would fall, wouldn't it? The tree is not putting out new growth this time of year. Don't count it down and out yet! :-)

BTW, our Chitalpa trees are going bare quickly.

Even my poplars and the oaks (which are stressed by the drought) are loosing leaves. Don't give up hope yet. I've still got that b.fly bush I think the gophers ate in the ground. I'm like Tinkerbell, I believe! I believe that your Redbud tree will make it! : - )
When the twigs don't snap it is still alive!
WIB!
SW

MIRACLE OCCURS IN LA JOLLA, CA.!! Redbud tree returns to life when threatened with imminent disposal! Tree accuses gardener (moi?) of overwatering. First just one tiny leaf appeared, followed rapidly by more leaves, a few timid blossoms and now today, April 29, it is fully leafed out. Tree vows to survive against all odds.

Redbud says special recognition goes to all who remained positive and encouraging throughout its ordeal. Has nothing much to say for the gardener.

So glad it is doing better! Ours was full of flowers this year - I'm sure due to the rain we've had.

Yippee, it survived! I am so happy for you and your Redbud!
Remember benign neglect once established. I hope you get many years of enjoyment from your Redbud Tree.
Thanks for letting us know, I was wondering if it came back! : - )
WIB!
SW

Cool!