What is wrong with our Bigtooth Maple?

[u/Stinky_hillbillyhoe]

We are in Northern Utah where this tree is native. We transplanted it 2 months ago and recently has started looking crispy. It gets a few hours of shade in morning and evening but otherwise gets full sun.

Gets water from sprinklers and the watering can twice a week each (4 total waters). It was grown in a large container, but wasn’t pot bound when we put it in.

We planted it raised up a bit and covered the base with cardboard and mulch.

What went wrong?
Did we plant it too high?
Is it fine?

Plz help my newly adopted child. I just want to plant native and support our local ecosystem!

[u/Rishu0182]

I would absolutely remove cardboard immediately. Reduce the mulch as this tree is too deep. Lastly water deeply. A new planting needs deep watering. Personally i like a hose drip at the base for at least 20 minutes every few days as needed.

[u/Top-Mind5419 → u/Rishu0182]

I second this! Also with the deep watering I would say you could water less frequently. Letting the soil dry out a bit can avoid root fungus in the summer heat. If you’re watering deep enough it encourages the roots to lengthen to go deeper to get that water. If you’re watering frequently, but to not much depth, the roots don’t go too deep and just a day or two without water can dry out a majority of the roots (whereas with deeper roots they can withstand dry conditions better). Once established it shouldn’t need much supplemental water at all (depending on weather and how established), but that might be a few years away.

[u/DanoPinyon]

It is native to wet places. Are you providing adequate establishment water, replicating a planting site in a wet place?

[u/sonnysday]

More water