Planting a landscape specimen JBP in Dallas

[Hbomb]

Hello, so I currently have a deposit down on about at 18ft tall by 16 wide JBP landscape specimen from a tree farm. It was collected/rescued about 4 years ago from the old Hank Haney golf course off 635 and been grown in its currently location about 4 years(picture attached).

I think it would look awesome in my backyard, but I am now thinking twice about it being able to survive. I became of the mindset JBPs are actually a pine that grows well in DFW clay soil(I actually have a young tree that I planted a couple years ago that’s growing great) but then heard younger trees will do better, so that’s not necessarily a great indication.

I know JBP do best in well draining soil, but my question is, will it tolerate clay not very well draining soil? It at least has been growing in Dallas for awhile now and probably has close feeder roots since being removed.

I get a 1 year warranty and have option pay 10% for another year. If it’s not going to survive should I know within the first year? Could it have a long slow death? Could it actually survive? Thanks

 

[Michael P]

Gorgeous tree!

The healthy old Japanese black pines I see in Dallas have excellent drainage and are not planted in the extreme type of Blackland clay. Areas with well-drained alluvial soils (some clay content is OK) seem to produce the best examples. Unfortunately, you may not know the ultimate fate of the tree for five years after planting. Get the two year warranty, but it still may not protect you.

This is an expensive tree. If your soil and drainage aren't great, can you build a berm with prepared soil in your landscape? The berm would need to be tall enough to cover almost the entire root ball of the tree. Base of the root ball should rest on undisturbed soil to prevent settling, but the rest of the roots should be able to grow into the prepared soil. This is a lot of trouble, but is cheap compared to the cost of this tree. And whatever happens, make sure the root flare (nebari in bonsai-speak) is above the surface of the soil after planting. In the photo I do not see the root flare, and this is death to big sensitive trees.

 

[Hbomb]

Thanks for your response! So if I created the berm with sandy loam, the bottom of the root ball, how high above the clay would it need to sit?

Or reading again... the bottom of the rootball could sit on the clay, but the rest would be surround by prepared soil/sandy loam?

 

[Michael P]

Yes, the bottom of the root ball should sit directly on the undisturbed clay soil. Then the berm needs to be the height of the root ball, making sure the root flare is exposed. The typical sandy loam fill soil is not the best thing to use. On this page https://www.soilbuildingsystems.com/products/beddingmix scroll down until you see "Deep Bedding Soil". This would be ideal.