# New-tree check

> Likeliest: Roots not yet anchored, then too much water and bark wounds.

Blue Whale Trees, a native tree nursery in the United States. Web version: https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/new-tree-check/?sign=lean

Try [leaves that wilt by day and recover by night](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/new-tree-check/index.html.md?sign=wilt-day), [leaves yellowing](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/new-tree-check/index.html.md?sign=yellow) or [a tree that leans](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/new-tree-check/index.html.md?sign=lean).

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.

Without JavaScript the answers cannot be changed here: the causes shown are for the answers in the address, or the check's own example. Its rules are these, and the list and the sources below give each one with its source. It scores the common first-year causes that fit the sign you see. Each starts at 1 to 3 points by how directly the sources tie it to the sign. Each fact you give then 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. Every size is the check's own reading, since the sources give each rule its direction and no weight. Transplant shock shows as wilting, scorch, yellowing, early leaf drop, late leaf-out, tan needle tips and dieback, by Purdue Extension and the University of Kentucky. It counts for more in the first year after planting, and for bare-root and balled stock. Bare branches from November to March count against it, since a deciduous tree is dormant then. Soil that crumbles about 6 inches down points to too little water, and soil that drips to too much, as Clemson Cooperative Extension reads the squeeze test. Soil that holds together counts a little against both, except that a potted or balled root ball can be dry inside moist soil. A pot, a heat wave and the first 12 weeks add to too little water, and so does a bare-root tree with no leaves. Heavy rain counts a little against too little water. Heavy rain and the first 12 weeks add to too much. A root flare that does not show points to planting too deep, and one that shows rules it out. When you are not sure of the flare, potted and balled stock add to it, and wet soil adds to it either way. Mulch or soil touching the trunk points to rot at the base, and a clear trunk rules it out. Both count for more in the second year, when slow harm starts to tell. A heat wave points to heat scorch, and so does summer, from June to August. From November to March, without a heat wave, scorch counts against heat. A late frost points to frost damage on new growth, and so does spring, from March to June or from April for a conifer. Without a frost in the last two weeks, frost damage is ruled out in July, August and from November to February. A conifer browning from December to April points to winter injury, and so does scorch on evergreen leaves from December to March. Dead buds and shoots point to it from March to May, and it is ruled out from June to October. Bark split or peeling points to sunscald or a frost crack, more from December to May and more in dry soil. Bark chewed or rubbed points to a wound, and so does mulch on the trunk, which hides voles. No animal damage counts a little against it. A lean points to roots not yet anchored, more so after heavy rain or in wet soil, in the first year and for bare-root stock. The season explains bare branches from November to March, a late leaf-out before June 1, yellowing and falling leaves from September to November, and conifers browning from September to March. September counts only a little, since some species turn early and early color can be stress. From April to August the season counts against a conifer's browning, and a tree still bare after June 1 points past the season, as Iowa State Extension judges it. The signs point past a new tree's shock for a lean or hurt bark, and when an injury or a planting fault ranks first. They do too for a tree still bare after June 1, and for dieback or lasting wilt in the second year. Then the check sends you to a certified arborist or to us.

## What to check first

October: the tree leans Not a diagnosis

**Roots not yet anchored** likeliest of the 4 causes that fit what you saw

**Rock the trunk** the check to do first

A lean is not transplant shock. Purdue Extension and the University of Kentucky give the signs of shock in the leaves, the twigs and the growth. A lean is the roots' hold in the soil, or something that pushed the tree.

### Roots not yet anchored

A new tree's roots have not yet grown out far enough to hold it, and wind or wet soil can tip it. The Morton Arboretum supports a tree on a windy site "to prevent uprooting and leaning until the roots have had a chance to grow".

**What points to it:** It is a leading cause of a lean.

**The check:** Hold the trunk low and rock it gently. University of Minnesota Extension's sign is a root system that "still moves in the soil when the stem is moved". Soil heaved up on the side away from the lean means roots or soil gave way, Penn State Extension adds.

**Next step:** While the soil is moist, set the tree upright, firm the soil around the roots and tie it loosely to a stake or two so it can still sway. University of Minnesota Extension ties the stem a third or two-thirds of the way from the ground to the first branches, never right under them. One stake holds many small trees, and two set in line with the wind hold the rest. For a tree up to 10 to 12 feet its wooden stakes are at least 2 by 2 inches and 5 feet long. Take the ties off after one growing season, as Minnesota does.

Sources: The Morton Arboretum, [Caring for New Transplants](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/caring-for-new-transplants/); University of Minnesota Extension, [Staking and guying trees](https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/gardening-in-minnesota/staking-and-guying-trees); Penn State Extension, [What to Do About Leaning Trees](https://extension.psu.edu/what-to-do-about-leaning-trees).

### Too much water

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 can cause a lean.

**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.

Sources: Iowa State Extension, [Decline of Newly Planted Trees](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/decline-newly-planted-trees); Colorado State Extension, [Environmental Disorders of Woody Plants](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/environmental-disorders-of-woody-plants/); Clemson Cooperative Extension, [Watering Shrubs and Trees](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/watering-shrubs-and-trees/); Colorado State Extension, [Care of Recently Planted Trees](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/care-of-recently-planted-trees/); University of Maryland Extension, [Tree Problems Caused by Excess Water](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/tree-problems-caused-excess-water).

### Bark wounds

Bark taken off all the way around the trunk stops the food the leaves send down to the roots. Iowa State Extension: "All growth above the girdled areas will eventually die".

**What points to it:** It can cause a lean.

**The check:** Look all the way around the trunk, from under the mulch at the soil line to about 3 feet up. Gnawed bark low on the trunk points to voles, mice or rabbits, which Iowa State Extension finds girdling small trees in winter. Bark shredded 1.5 to 3.5 feet up is a buck's antlers, by the same account. A scrape at one height is a mower or a string trimmer, and a wire or tag biting in is a tie left on.

**Next step:** Put a guard on now: University of Maryland Extension uses a hardware cloth cylinder 18 inches tall, sunk 2 to 3 inches into the soil. Cut any tie or tag that bites, and leave the wound unpainted, since Iowa State Extension finds wound dressings "do not help". A tree girdled all the way round is usually replaced, though a shrub often sprouts again from its base. [Protecting young trees from voles, rabbits, deer and squirrels](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/protecting-trees-from-animals/index.html.md) gives the guard for each animal.

Sources: Iowa State Extension, [How to Protect Trees and Shrubs from Animal Damage Over Winter](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-protect-trees-and-shrubs-animal-damage-over-winter); University of Maryland Extension, [Voles](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/voles); University of Maryland Extension, [Broken Branches and Lower Trunk Damage](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/broken-branches-and-lower-trunk-damage); University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, [Transplant Shock: Disease or Cultural Problem?](https://plantpathology.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/ppfs-or-w-19.pdf).

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.

Water by the schedule [the watering calculator](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/watering/index.html.md) sets for this tree, and check the soil about 6 inches down before each watering.

These signs point past a new tree's transplant shock. Ask a certified arborist to look at it: [the International Society of Arboriculture's directory](https://www.treesaregood.org/Find-an-Arborist) finds one near you. Or write to us through [the support page](https://bluewhaletrees.com/support/index.html.md#contact) with what you see and when it started, and send photographs of the whole tree and of the trouble once we reply.

### How this was worked out: 5 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.
- **Roots not yet anchored, 3 points.** 3 for the sign. The Morton Arboretum and University of Minnesota Extension support a new tree until its roots have grown out to hold it.
- **Too much water, 1 point.** 1 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.
- **Bark wounds, 1 point.** 1 for the sign. Iowa State Extension finds bark chewed or rubbed off all the way round killing everything above it. University of Maryland Extension adds mowers and string trimmers as the commonest cause of hurt bark at the base.
- **Also fits, lower.** Planted too deep at 1.

These are likely causes, not a diagnosis. Check the soil about 6 inches down before every watering, and on a potted or balled tree the root ball itself. The whole subject is in [Is my new tree dying or just in shock?](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/is-my-new-tree-dying-or-just-shocked/index.html.md), and the years after planting are in [A year-by-year care calendar for a newly planted tree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/care-calendar-for-a-new-tree/index.html.md).

## What to check first, and how

- **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](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/bald-cypress/index.html.md), [pond cypress](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/pond-cypress/index.html.md) and [tamarack](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/tamarack/index.html.md) 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](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/caring-for-new-transplants/), 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](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/how-to-plant-trees/) finds a balled and burlapped tree losing 80 to 95% of its roots. [Purdue Extension](https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-31.html) 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](https://plantpathology.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/ppfs-or-w-19.pdf) adds early leaf drop and leaves that come out late. [Clemson Cooperative Extension](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/planting-trees-correctly/) 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](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/care-of-recently-planted-trees/) 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](https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/12877.pdf) find hardwood seedlings "may die back and re-sprout from the root collar".

The watering rules start from [University of Minnesota Extension](https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/gardening-in-minnesota/watering-newly-planted-trees-and-shrubs)'s schedule for a new tree, which the [watering calculator](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/watering/index.html.md) follows. The squeeze test is [Clemson Cooperative Extension](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/watering-shrubs-and-trees/)'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](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/transplanting-established-trees-shrubs/) finds roots drying out perhaps "the single most important cause of failure" with bare-root stock. [Iowa State Extension](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/decline-newly-planted-trees) finds the root ball "will dry out sooner than the surrounding soil". [University of Maryland Extension](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/drought-and-excessive-heat-stress) 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](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/tree-problems-caused-excess-water) warns: "Too much water can be just as damaging as too little." [Colorado State Extension](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/environmental-disorders-of-woody-plants/) 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](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/watering-trees-and-shrubs) 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](https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-06-30-tree-troubles-usually-start-base-trunk) 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](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-planted-too-deeply) 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](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-transplant-small-trees) 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](https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2021-08-27-tree-root-collar-disorders) leaves to a certified arborist on a tree that is struggling. For mulch, [Illinois Extension](https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/too-much-good-thing-mulch-volcanoes-slowly-kill-trees) writes: "Piling mulch onto the bark exposes it to dark and moisture. The bark will start to rot". [University of Maryland Extension](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/excess-mulch-problems) 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](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-protect-trees-and-shrubs-animal-damage-over-winter) 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](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/cold-and-freeze-damage-garden-plants) 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](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/browning-and-dieback-conifers) finds winter drying "almost exclusive to younger, newly planted trees" and gives the normal fall needle drop. [University of Minnesota Extension](https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/lawns-and-landscapes-in-minnesota/protecting-trees-and-shrubs-in-winter) gives sunscald, its repair and a white wrap for at least two winters. [University of Maryland Extension](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/winter-damage-landscape-plants) 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](https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/fall-color)'s, from mid-September to mid-November. Maryland counts [early fall color](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/early-fall-coloration) as a sign of stress, and calls an evergreen's inner needle yellowing ["a normal fall color"](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/evergreen-foliage-yellowing). The Morton Arboretum's [warning sign](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/seasonal-needle-drop/) is new growth that is discolored or wilted. The scratch test and the June 1 rule are [Iowa State Extension](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/late-leaf-emergence-fruit-and-ornamental-trees-and-shrubs)'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](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/voles) 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](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/broken-branches-and-lower-trunk-damage). [Protecting young trees from voles, rabbits, deer and squirrels](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/protecting-trees-from-animals/index.html.md) gives the guard for each animal. For a lean, [University of Minnesota Extension](https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/gardening-in-minnesota/staking-and-guying-trees) 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](https://extension.psu.edu/what-to-do-about-leaning-trees) finds "Trees may be uprooted or fall in wet soils". [Iowa State Extension](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-plant-bare-root-trees) 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](https://www.treesaregood.org/Find-an-Arborist) finds one near you. Or write to us through [the support page](https://bluewhaletrees.com/support/index.html.md#contact) with what you see and when it started. Photographs of the whole tree and of the trouble can follow by email once we reply.

It is a starting point, not a diagnosis. The whole subject is in [Is my new tree dying or just in shock?](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/is-my-new-tree-dying-or-just-shocked/index.html.md), and the years after planting are in [A year-by-year care calendar for a newly planted tree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/care-calendar-for-a-new-tree/index.html.md). A bare-root tree's first spring is in [Bare-root trees on arrival](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting-bare-root-trees-on-arrival/index.html.md), and the watering schedule is the [watering calculator](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/watering/index.html.md)'s.

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](https://bluewhaletrees.com/tools/new-tree-check/index.html.md?sign=wilt-day&weeks=3&stock=potted&soil=dry).