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Hi.

 

I planted a young plum tree (6ft) 3 months ago which has now died. How do you deal with this situation with the client? I.e. I replace everything at no charge, they pay for new tree and the Labour is free, they pay for Labour and and a new tree?

The other 4 trees planted are doing fine and so maybe it's just unlucky it didn't take?

 

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  • I'd replace it FOC. A tree is what, £20? 

  • I would replace without question, any clues as to why it died? I don’t believe in unlucky! 

  • Same thing happened to a Victoria plum tree I planted a couple of years ago and one planted by a client at the same time. They both died within days of each other. If yours is the same you will find it has been attacked by aphids. How they manage to kill a tree that quickly, I don't know, but if you catch the infestation in time it is treatable.

    The thing is, if it was an aphid attack, it wasn't your fault so why should you pay for a new one?

    • I always replace within a certain timeframe as otherwise whether it is my fault or aphids or maybe the customers it will be me remembered as the gardener that supplied duff trees and will always be blamed on me maybe. 

  • PRO

    Most suppliers would replace the tree for free. I'd approach them first.

    In the future, make sure that you issue terms and conditions, clearly stating under what circumstances you'd provide replacements.

  • There are many factors you have to consider when planting a new tree, including the quality of the rootstock, ground conditions & soil type.  Tree planters should be aware of - and follow - British Standard 8545 'Trees from Nursery to Independence' (2014).  I have done a few reports on why newly planted trees have died: once it was the soil conditions (planted in waterlogged clay); once it was poor planting stock (girdling roots).

  • Plants are living things and as such,like people, they die due to a number of factors. There is always a failure percentage (I forget what that percentage is)  when planting. A case in point is that I planted an Acacia dealbata last year in a client's garden that she bought from a reputable nursery. I removed it a few weeks ago because it suddenly died. I suspect it was the extreme cold weather we endured a few months ago. The client accepted my philosophy of  'that's gardening for you' and she replaced it with another tree, a flowering cherry. 

    • The pervasive newly planted tree failure rate is fairly constant at around 25%.   However, this is an unacceptably high rate, especially when some clients pay hundreds of pounds for a new tree.  This rate can be much smaller if the correct planting procedures are put in place (as per BS8545 and other best practise guidance).  I accept there will be always be a small failure rate, but it should be nowhere near 25%.  Newly planted tree death is almost entirely avoidable.

  • Was is a bare root or container tree?

    Did you dry the roots out? if it was a bare rooted tree even a few minutes while you dig the hole can have serious effect on roots.  If it was a container grown tree bought from a good nursery that know what they are doing it shouldn't have had time to die yet!  After the summer it could be argued, so its either that or poor planting techniques!

     

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