Q.
We are having a major problem with one of our two chitalpa trees after they
were fertilized. We were told by professionals that these are desert trees and
don't require a lot of water and the watering schedule has not changed for
2-1/2 years. They are on drip irrigation with each tree receiving 5 gallons of
water a day scheduled at 2 AM, 6 AM and 10 PM.
We
had a tree service company do a deep root feeding on May 14th because one tree
looked sickly while the other one was healthy. After fertilizer was applied the
healthy one now has leaves that are brown, curled up and falling off. The tree
service came back out and suggested to water the tree for an hour for two
consecutive days just in case the fertilizer put the tree into a shock. We did
that with no change in the trees except for new shoots growing from the trunk
of the damaged one. The tree service doesn’t know the problem. Should we plan
on replacing this tree in the near future or will it come back next year?
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| Chitalpa not the readers |
%2B%2BMay%2B2009%2B.jpg) |
| Chitalpa not the readers |
%2BSept%2B2013.jpg) |
| Chitalpa not the readers |
A. Desert trees need water just like regular trees but their main claim to fame is that they need irrigations less often.
Let’s explore what happened. First of all, 5 gallons of water a day is not
enough water unless they are very small trees, perhaps no more than 5 feet
tall.
Secondly,
there is no reason to apply the water at three different times when using drip
emitters. Drip emitters apply water very slowly so the entire amount of water
can be applied at one time with no problems.
I
think you may have been a bit misled when you purchased these trees. Many
people, including professionals, do not understand the relationship between the
water use of desert trees and the level of acceptability these trees have when
different amounts of water is applied.
%2BSept%2B2013.jpg) |
| Chitalpa with limb dieback, probably watering issue, not the readers |
Just
because trees are so-called desert trees does not mean that they can get by
with very little water. Chitalpa is a desert-adapted tree, not really a true
desert tree like some of the acacias and palo verdes.
I
do think your damaged tree resulted from the fertilizer application to the
soil. I don’t think there was enough water present in the soil to dilute the
fertilizer enough to keep the roots from getting damaged after the application.
Secondly,
I believe the soil water taken up by the roots was so high in fertilizer salts
that the leaves were damaged and the severely damaged ones fell from the tree.
What
can you do? Flood the area under the tree with water once a week for the next
three weeks. After this, go back to normal irrigations using your irrigation
system. I would look closely at the possibility that you may not be applying
enough water during an irrigation.
If
you suspect this might be the case, either increase the number of minutes so
that more water is applied or add more drip emitters under the canopy if you
suspect there are not enough. You will increase the amount of water either way.
The key consideration is whether you are applying enough water under the entire
canopy or not. If you suspect you are not, then the only solution is to add more
emitters.
What
will happen to the tree? Because of leaf drop you may have some branch die back
and lose some limbs. Let the tree continue to grow this summer and fall and
don't do any pruning until this winter.
This
winter see if you can do some corrective pruning to improve the shape of the
tree. If the tree has been to severely damaged due to die back, then you might
consider replacing it. I don't think you can make that determination for
another month or two.
Watering is so often misunderstood by homeowners and professionals alike. Think of watering this way - if you are thirsty, do you take out a juice glass and perhaps drink just 3 oz of water or do you grab a good size glass, fill it to the top and drink it all down and perhaps refill the glass? Obviously, you take a big, hefty glass of water and drink it all down at once to take care of your thirst. You don't take a few more ounces later in the day and again at night. That won't take care of your thirst. It does not take care of your trees thirst either. Set your irrigation clock to run for 60 minutes, after sunrise and just once a day. Your trees and plants can get the big drink that they need to get through the entire day and night. You only need to adjust your clock for the seasons, 3 days per week in the summer, 2 days per week in Spring and Fall, and 1 day a week in winter unless we are lucky enough to get a good soaking rain. Remember your emitters are measured in gallons per hour, you likely are only applying apprx. 4 gallons of water at a time, but it is efficient water, a good, deep drink.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information. My Chitalpa has followed the same pattern ever since we moved into the house in July 2016 (Mesquite, Nevada..hot..hot..hot). The tree leaves out fine and the pink flowers are plentiful. However, a few weeks later, all the flowers die off and the leaves eventually show signs of stress. I have now switched to 2gph emitters, for an hour of watering three days a week. I hope this will rectify the problem
ReplyDeleteOur chitalpa tree did no bloom this spring. It looks dormant. The bark underneath is green. We have had it for 3 years. This is the 1st year it did not bloom.
ReplyDeleteBe patient. This tree flowers on current season growth so it is not a "spring bloomer" but a "summer bloomer". Nothing you can do at this point but wait and make sure you are giving it plenty of water when you are watering and then holding off until the next irrigation. Apply water under the entire canopy.
DeleteIs is common for the Chitalpa to partially defoliate in the summer, and what would be the optimum amount of water for 15' Chittalpa tree in Kingman, Arizona?
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes it can. Take a look at Chris Martins comments on chitalpa in the Phoenix area. I cant post a link here but you can find it by putting in "chitalpa" and "arizona state university" in your favorite search engine.
Deletehttp://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/chitalpa.html
DeleteI guess I can but you may have to copy and paste it if it is not a hyperlink
Do these trees have deep roots. Our landscaper planter our tree less than a foot away from our sewer line. Should I be concerned? Thank you
ReplyDeleteI would be concerned if a tree was planted just a foot from the sewer line. The tree roots can lift it and cause it to crack in ten years or so. The tree doesn't know what is in the sewer line but if it lifts it then there will be problems.
DeleteMy Chitalpa, which I neglected to water enough, lifted cement located 5 feet away from the trunk around 6 years after planting it.
DeleteAccording to the New Mexico State University agricultural service, all chitalpa in the USA are infected by a bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. Chitalpa are a sterile hybrid (no seeds) between southern catalpa and desert willow, and all chitalpas must be grown from cuttings. The "mother plant" from which all US chitalpa are descended was infected, hence all cuttings also carry the bacteria. The bacterial disease clogs the capillaries which carry water and nutrients from the roots to the branches, and as it progresses leaf scorch and twig die-back becomes more common. There is no cure, but a little extra water and vigorous pruning may prolong the life of the tree.
ReplyDeleteYes and Rick Heflebower from Utah State University Extension as well. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/2059/
Delete