Fort McNair red horsechestnut did not bloom this spring.

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cassiopeia2 Bull Valley, IL Jul 20, 2014

In the Fall of 2012, I planted a 7' Fort McNair Red Horsechestnut tree in my backyard. The following spring it bloomed beautifully. Late in the summer it developed brown spots on many of the leaves. This spring it leafed out but did not bloom at all. There are some spots on the leaves, but not as many. Any suggestions? Do I need to amend the soil, water more/less? I don't want to lose this beautiful tree!

It was planted by a nursery and came balled and burlapped. Soil was amended when it was planted and we have mulched and watered it with a drip hose.

This message was edited Jul 23, 2014 3:46 PM

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) Jul 22, 2014

Tell us more about the condition that your tree (Aesculus ×carnea 'Fort McNair') was in when you bought/planted it - besides its height.

Was it bare root?

Was it balled and burlapped?

Was it in a container?

Knowing this can help answer the rest of your questions.

As far as spots on Aesculus leaves in summer: that is practically the eternal condition for this genus, and is especially common on Aesculus glabra, Aesculus pavia, and Aesculus ×carnea - all of which I've grown here at the Valley for years.

I don't think you need to do anything beyond normal gardening practices for this plant. If you have relatively normal soil, I would keep your tree mulched for at least a few years with a coarse hardwood or pine bark mulch. A handful of balanced fertilizer (granular 10-10-10) once or twice a season never hurts a tree get established - especially if you've tested your soils and know the nutrient conditions. Watering the root system with water bags or drip hose during dry periods (less than an inch of rainfall per week), rather than with overhead sprinklers, will be beneficial and should not contribute to foliar problems.

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