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Old 10-09-2020, 05:57 PM   #2
RVwife
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 25.3
State: Michigan
Posts: 202
THOR #20290
I'm not an arborist, but have extensive experience with fruit trees and am a retired horticultural author. I'll give it a shot, although diagnosis via photo is not always easy or accurate.

I'll start with a few questions as the answers may influence future comments/recommendations:

What kind/ species of tree is this? It has the shape of a Rose of Sharon, but the photo is not detailed enough or large enough to give a clear view

When was it planted?

How often was it watered over the summer?

What kind of soil is it growing in? Yours looks like it may be sandy, is that true?

Now comments:

Judging by the other trees in the background, your tree is likely stressed in some way. It seems to have lost a lot of its leaves already. This could be normal for this time of year depending on what species it is, but it seems a bit premature.

Also the leaves seem rather discolored/brown. Are they dried out or would this be the normal end of season color for whatever tree this is. (Forgive me, I'm in the far northern reaches of the Midwest and you may have some tree species in your location that I am not particularly familiar with.)

Stress to this tree could have been caused by a number of factors - insufficient soil moisture;
fungal diseases on the leaves, but this is more common in a rainy season;
insect infestation, such as tent caterpillars/webworms or other leaf feeders;
just being incompatible with the soil it is growing in, some like sandier, better drained soils. Others like heavier water retaining soils.

If the tree is growing on a light sandy soil, some mulch around the base/root area will help preserve moisture in the future. The mulch should be light and slightly airy, not heavily matted (such as grass clippings tend to become when wet). Also, high organic matter mulches are most beneficial - aged manure, fine chopped straw, but not hay with many weed seeds. Wood chips and the coarse bagged stuff sold in many places tends to take a long time to breakdown and enrich the soil.

Leave a few inches of space between the trunk and the mulch or you could encourage the growth of fungal diseases around the tree/shrub's crown.

Normally fertilizer should be applied in early spring. An additional application (along with sufficient water/rain) can be made in summer if plant growth shows the need for it. Applying fertilizer at this time of year is usually NOT a good idea. You can't undo what you've done, but live and learn. At this time of year it is the plant's job to start going dormant. Rule of thumb is no fertilizer after August 1. Encouraging it to grow may leave it more susceptible to winter cold injury, especially if a severe cold snap arrives before it is fully dormant. Fortunately for you, this is more likely up here in the north than where you are.

At this point, I would suggest allowing the tree to go dormant and then be prepared to give it top notch care when it buds out in the spring - adequate (but not excessive) moisture and nutrition, proactive protection from the pests and diseases in your area.

Your local cooperative extension service or a good supply of library books can give you lots more detail that may be more specific to your location and type of plant. (Don't believe everything you find on Google, there is a fair amount that is not that effective or is even counter productive.)

Good luck, hopefully it pulls through.
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