There is a young ginko tree in front of my house. It was planted three years ago. This spring, it started dying branch by branch from the top
There is a young ginko tree in front of my house. It was planted three years ago. This spring, it started dying branch by branch from the top down. Now, it only has about two living (green) branches. Is there any way this tree can come back from this? Or should it be replaced.
Ultimately, do you think the cause was lack of water or the harsh winter we had?
The tree is not technically mine. It's a city tree on my neighbor's property. It's not mulched and not watered. I'm willing to do both of these things if the tree can survive.
The tree is not technically mine. It's a city tree on my neighbor's property. It's not mulched and not watered. I'm willing to do both of these things if the tree can survive.
Answer
Ginko is a low maintenance tree under ordinary circumstances. The most likely cause of the die back is lack of water. This summer was particularly hot but in any case the tree should have been well watered once a week to get it off to a good start. It sounds as if it wasn't watered. Even established trees can benefit from watering if they are under stress from too much sun and heat. Mulch is also a good idea but keep it over the roots and away from the tree trunk as the bark will be damaged if it is overly wet. It may be too late to work but it's worth a try.