A tree planted in the last two years that wilts, browns or will not leaf out is most often stressed by the move, not sick. Pick the sign, then answer what the yard shows: weeks since planting, how it was sold, the month, the soil, the root flare, the mulch, the weather and the bark. The check ranks the three likeliest first-year causes, each with what points to it, the one check that confirms it and the next step. Every rule is shown with its source, so you can see why one cause ranks above another. It is not a diagnosis: where the signs point past a new tree's shock, the check sends you to a certified arborist or to us.
Fall colorlikeliest of the 7 causes that fit what you saw
The whole treethe check to do first
Yellowing and falling leaves in October are most likely fall color, not transplant shock. The Missouri Department of Conservation finds fall color peaking about mid-October.
Likeliest, 4 points
Fall color
Every deciduous tree turns and drops its leaves in autumn. The Missouri Department of Conservation finds the earliest species turning from mid-September and fall color "usually finishes by mid-November".
What points to it: It can cause yellowing leaves. It is October, the season of fall color.
The check: Look at the whole tree and its neighbors: fall color turns the whole crown at the season's pace. A new tree turning weeks ahead of others of its kind is showing stress, which University of Maryland Extension calls early fall color.
Next step: Nothing to fix for the season itself. Keep watering in dry fall weather until the ground freezes, as Iowa State Extension does for a new tree.
Iowa State Extension: "Roots need oxygen, and waterlogged soils displace oxygen." Colorado State Extension finds the yellowing of wet roots starting low and inside the crown and working up, where drought starts at the top.
What points to it: It is a leading cause of yellowing leaves.
The check: Dig beside the root ball and squeeze a pinch of soil from about 6 inches down. Clemson Cooperative Extension reads water that drips between your fingers as too much. Colorado State Extension adds that soil with a sewer-gas smell is "excessively wet".
A few hours after watering, dig a small hole beside the root ball, about 6 inches deep, and squeeze a pinch from the bottom. Then push a finger into the ball itself, which can be dry when the soil beside it is right.
Next step: Stop watering until the soil about 6 inches down is moist, not wet: Colorado State Extension's rule is "Never apply irrigation if soil is saturated." Lead downspouts and runoff away from the tree. University of Maryland Extension's drainage test is a hole 18 inches deep filled with water, which should be empty within 24 hours.
Moving a tree cuts most of its roots, and the leaves show it until new roots grow out. The Morton Arboretum's researchers found a tree "can lose as much as 90% of its root system when it is removed from the nursery".
What points to it: It is a common cause of yellowing leaves.
The check: Shock is what is left when the other checks come up clean. The soil about 6 inches down is moist, the root flare shows, the bark is whole all round, and a scratched twig is green.
Next step: Keep the soil moist, not wet, by the watering schedule, and let the tree be. Colorado State Extension says "Never fertilize trees in the establishment phase that are showing signs of stress." Clemson Cooperative Extension finds pruning does not help a tree overcome transplant shock, so cut only dead wood. The Morton Arboretum gives recovery about a year for each inch of trunk.
Judged on what you gave. Add the weeks since planting, how it was sold, the soil 6 inches down, the root flare, the mulch and the bark for a sharper order.
Is it alive? The scratch test
Gently scratch the bark of a small twig with a thumbnail, just deep enough to see under it.
Green tissue beneath the bark means the twig is alive, Iowa State Extension finds.
Brown, dry tissue means that twig has died back. Work down toward the trunk until you reach green.
A seedling whose top has died is not always lost: the USDA Forest Service and Purdue University find hardwood seedlings "may die back and re-sprout from the root collar".
Water by the schedule the watering calculator sets for this tree, and check the soil about 6 inches down before each watering.
How this was worked out: 7 rules and their sources
The order. Each cause that fits the sign starts at 1 to 3 points, and each fact you gave adds points, takes them away or rules the cause out. The three with the most points show, and a tie goes to the commoner first-year trouble. The sources give each rule its direction and no weight, so every size is the check's own reading.
Fall color, 4 points. 1 for the sign, plus 3, 4 in all. The Missouri Department of Conservation finds fall color from mid-September to mid-November. Plus 3. It is October, the season of fall color. The Missouri Department of Conservation finds fall color peaking "around mid-October" and finishing "by mid-November".
Too much water, 3 points. 3 for the sign. University of Maryland Extension finds that roots in wet soil show the same signs as a dry tree. Colorado State Extension adds yellowing that starts low and inside the crown, and leaf fall in midsummer.
Transplant shock, 2 points. 2 for the sign. Purdue Extension gives wilting, scorch, yellowing, tan needle tips and dieback as signs of transplant shock. The University of Kentucky adds early leaf drop and leaves that come out late.
Also fits, lower. Planted too deep at 2, too little water at 1, bark wounds at 1 and mulch or soil on the trunk at 1.
How long shock lasts, a second opinion. The Morton Arboretum gives about a year of recovery for each inch of trunk, and Colorado State Extension 12 to 18 months for a 1-inch tree. Purdue Extension finds the signs "may be evident for two or more years", and the University of Kentucky gives three to five years to establish. The check keeps transplant shock on the list for all two years it covers and adds a point in the first year, its own reading.
Feeding, a second opinion. University of Minnesota Extension feeds a winter-injured evergreen in early spring. Colorado State Extension never feeds a stressed tree that is still establishing, and Iowa State Extension does not feed after cold damage. The check follows Colorado State and Iowa State for a tree in its first two years.
Start at the soil. A few hours after watering, dig a small hole beside the root ball, about 6 inches deep, and squeeze a pinch from the bottom. Water that drips means too much, soil that crumbles too little, and soil that holds together is about right. Then push a finger into the root ball itself, which dries out sooner than the soil around it.
A few hours after watering, dig a small hole beside the root ball, about 6 inches deep, and squeeze a pinch from the bottom. Then push a finger into the ball itself, which can be dry when the soil beside it is right.
Then the base of the trunk. The root flare, where the trunk widens into its first roots, should show at the soil line, with the top roots just under the surface. A trunk that goes into the ground like a post is planted too deep. Scrape the soil away by hand to find the first root.
Left, planted at the right depth: the trunk widens into its first roots at the soil line. Right, planted too deep: the trunk goes in like a post and the flare sits under the soil.
Pull the mulch back. Nothing should touch the bark. Keep the mulch no deeper than 3 inches over the roots, and 6 inches clear of a small tree's trunk.
Left: mulch no deeper than 3 inches over the roots and 6 inches clear of a small tree's trunk. Right: a mulch volcano piled against the bark, which keeps it wet and rots it.
Look all the way round the bark. From under the mulch at the soil line to about 3 feet up, look for gnawing, shredded strips, a mower's scrape or a tie biting in. Split or sunken bark on the south or southwest side is winter sun.
Scratch a twig. Green under the bark is alive, and brown, dry wood has died back. Work down toward the trunk until you find green, since a seedling whose top dies can sprout again from the base.
Read the season. A deciduous tree is bare from fall to spring, and a new one may leaf out late: judge it only after June 1. Leaves turn and drop in fall, and conifers shed their oldest inner needles then, while bald cypress, pond cypress and tamarack drop every needle.
Do not feed it or prune live wood. A stressed new tree is not fed, and pruning does not cure transplant shock. Cut only dead wood, and only once new growth shows where it ends.
Give it time. A tree takes about a year for each inch of trunk to recover from the move, and some show it for two years or more. If no branches are dying and each year's growth beats the last, the tree is doing well.
Common questions
Do brown leaves on a newly planted tree mean it needs water?
It may: Colorado State Extension finds that drought injury on a broadleaf tree most often appears as leaf scorch, though heat and transplant shock brown the edges too. Squeeze soil from about 6 inches down: crumbling soil means too little water, dripping soil too much.
Can a newly planted tree wilt from too much water?
Yes: University of Maryland Extension finds roots in wet soil showing the same signs as a dry tree. If soil squeezed from about 6 inches down drips water, stop watering until it is moist, not wet, by Colorado State Extension's rule.
Why are the leaves on my newly planted tree turning yellow?
Outside fall, our new-tree check ranks too much water first: Colorado State Extension finds wet roots yellowing the crown from low and inside, where drought starts at the top. In October and November, yellowing leaves are most likely fall color, not transplant shock.
What are the signs of transplant shock in a tree?
Purdue Extension gives wilting, scorch, yellowing, tan needle tips and dieback as signs of transplant shock. The University of Kentucky adds early leaf drop and leaves that come out late.
How do you treat transplant shock in a tree?
Keep the soil moist, not wet, and cut only dead wood, since Clemson Cooperative Extension finds pruning does not help a tree overcome transplant shock. The sources part on feeding, and the check follows Colorado State Extension, which says never to fertilize a stressed tree in its establishment phase.
The rules for transplant shock follow the Morton Arboretum, whose researchers found a tree "can lose as much as 90% of its root system when it is removed from the nursery". It finds that "approximately one year of recovery is needed for every inch of tree diameter". Its planting guide finds a balled and burlapped tree losing 80 to 95% of its roots. Purdue Extension gives the signs, calls leaf scorch "a common symptom of transplant shock", and finds "Bare root trees and shrubs are most susceptible to transplant shock." The University of Kentucky adds early leaf drop and leaves that come out late. Clemson Cooperative Extension finds pruning does not help a tree overcome transplant shock unless it is short of water. The sources disagree on how long shock lasts. Colorado State Extension gives a 1-inch tree 12 to 18 months to establish, and Purdue finds the signs "may be evident for two or more years". Kentucky gives three to five years to establish. The check keeps transplant shock on the list for all two years it covers and adds a point in the first year, its own reading of them. A seedling's top that dies is not always the end, since the USDA Forest Service and Purdue University find hardwood seedlings "may die back and re-sprout from the root collar".
The watering rules start from University of Minnesota Extension's schedule for a new tree, which the watering calculator follows. The squeeze test is Clemson Cooperative Extension's. It reads: "If water drips out between your fingers, you are watering too much; if soil crumbles and falls out of your hand as you open your fingers, you are watering too little." Clemson warns that "the root ball might be bone dry" when the soil beside it is right. Its transplanting factsheet finds roots drying out perhaps "the single most important cause of failure" with bare-root stock. Iowa State Extension finds the root ball "will dry out sooner than the surrounding soil". University of Maryland Extension finds a nursery's potting mix drying out quickly, and a tree that wilts on a hot day firming up by evening in moist soil. Its page on excess water warns: "Too much water can be just as damaging as too little." Colorado State Extension finds drought on a broadleaf tree "most often appears as leaf scorch". Wet roots instead yellow the crown from low and inside, with "little marginal leaf scorching". Its rule for wet soil is "Never apply irrigation if soil is saturated." The sources check the soil at different depths: Clemson half way down the root ball, Maryland about 6 inches and Colorado State 8 to 10 inches. The check follows Maryland's 6 inches, as the watering calculator does.
For planting depth, Illinois Extension writes: "If it looks like a telephone pole sticking out of the ground, the tree is planted too deep." The Morton Arboretum sets the flare "at least 1/2 inch above the soil" with the top roots "just below the soil surface". University of Maryland Extension finds "A planting depth of only one-inch too deep can cause trouble." It finds a tree recently planted too deeply "can be lifted and replanted", and Iowa State Extension moves a deciduous tree after leaf drop or in early spring. Iowa State also finds potted and balled trees often sold with soil over the flare. Clearing soil and mulch down to the flare is root collar excavation, which Illinois Extension leaves to a certified arborist on a tree that is struggling. For mulch, Illinois Extension writes: "Piling mulch onto the bark exposes it to dark and moisture. The bark will start to rot". University of Maryland Extension keeps mulch no deeper than three inches and finds that mulch on the trunk "Provides a hiding place for voles". The sources leave different gaps at the trunk: Illinois 2 inches, Maryland about 3, and Iowa State at least 6 for a small tree. The check follows Iowa State, since the wider gap also keeps voles off the bark. The depth differs too: the Morton Arboretum lays 3 to 4 inches and Colorado State 4 to 5 of wood chips. The check keeps to Maryland's three, since Maryland finds deep mulch starves the roots of air.
Colorado State Extension gives heat scorch and frost too: frost injury comes after "early fall and late spring frosts", and "Sunscald occurs during cold, bright days in midwinter." Iowa State Extension finds frozen new leaves "shrivel, turn brown or black, become limp, and eventually drop". It finds most trees "rebound within weeks by producing new growth". Its conifer page finds winter drying "almost exclusive to younger, newly planted trees" and gives the normal fall needle drop. University of Minnesota Extension gives sunscald, its repair and a white wrap for at least two winters. University of Maryland Extension finds an evergreen's winter color will often "revert back to normal" in spring, and some splits in young bark are normal growth cracks. The fall color season is the Missouri Department of Conservation's, from mid-September to mid-November. Maryland counts early fall color as a sign of stress, and calls an evergreen's inner needle yellowing "a normal fall color". The Morton Arboretum's warning sign is new growth that is discolored or wilted. The scratch test and the June 1 rule are Iowa State Extension's. Its rule: "Wait until at least June 1st before making any determination about the survival of a tree or shrub that has not yet leafed out."
For bark, Iowa State Extension finds "All growth above the girdled areas will eventually die", antler rubs 1.5 to 3.5 feet up, and wound dressings that "do not help". University of Maryland Extension guards a trunk with a hardware cloth cylinder 18 inches tall, sunk 2 to 3 inches into the soil. It finds mowers and string trimmers the commonest cause of hurt bark at the base. Protecting young trees from voles, rabbits, deer and squirrels gives the guard for each animal. For a lean, University of Minnesota Extension watches for a root system that "still moves in the soil when the stem is moved", and ties a tree loosely for one growing season. Penn State Extension finds "Trees may be uprooted or fall in wet soils". Iowa State Extension finds "Bare root trees will likely need to be staked for the first year." The Morton Arboretum supports a new tree "to prevent uprooting and leaning until the roots have had a chance to grow".
Feeding is where the sources part. University of Minnesota Extension feeds a winter-injured evergreen in early spring, but Colorado State Extension says "Never fertilize trees in the establishment phase that are showing signs of stress." Iowa State Extension does not feed after cold damage. The check follows Colorado State and Iowa State for a tree in its first two years.
What this cannot see: insects and disease, herbicide drift, soil pH, roots circling below ground and salt. Iowa State Extension finds an insect or disease on a new tree is usually secondary to a problem such as overwatering or deep planting, so the checks here come first. A certified arborist can see what they miss, and the International Society of Arboriculture's directory finds one near you. Or write to us through the support page with what you see and when it started. Photographs of the whole tree and of the trouble can follow by email once we reply.
The address carries the new-tree check's inputs, so a link opens it filled in, and Copy link on a result writes one: sign (wilt-day, wilt-stays, scorch, yellow, drop, no-leaves, dieback, lean, bark or conifer), weeks (the weeks since planting), stock (unknown, bare-root, potted or bb), month (the month planted, 1 to 12), soil (unknown, dry, moist or wet), flare (unknown, yes or no, for a root flare in sight), mulch (unknown, yes or no, for mulch against the trunk), weather (none, heat, frost or rain), animal (unknown, yes or no, for animal damage).
For example, /tools/new-tree-check/?sign=wilt-day&weeks=3&stock=potted&soil=dry.