CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! Welcome to My weekly series! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 25 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Hello Linda, I am forwarding you this info and photos from a deacon at my church - the First Baptist Church of Lebanon. We planted this Japanese Stewartia in memory of one of our faithful members who passed away. This is actually the second Japanese Stewartia that we planted. The first one died immediately after planting, and we felt it was because it was over-watered. The second tree was planted with utmost care and now - we are watching it deteriorate once again. I follow your column faithfully in the New London Day and I know that if anyone can help us - it would be you! Thank you, Molly Hi Molly, The tree is not getting enough water. A newly planted tree should get about two 5-gallon buckets of water per week in normal weather. In the heat and rainless summer, the tree should be watered three times a week. For the month of September, continue watering (twice a week) until we get consistent, natural rainfall, perhaps toward the end of October or possibly sooner. If the tree survives, it will need to be watered for the next 3-4 summers, two times a week. It takes 3-5 years for a tree to get established...which means it has a completely established root system to support the growth of the tree with nutrients and water. There's no need to water in the spring and fall when Mother Nature supplies the water. It's also important to put a 2-3" layer of mulch around the base of the tree to keep the soil cool and moist, but keep the mulch away from the stem; do not pile it up along the stem. Good Luck. Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! Welcome to My weekly series ! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 25 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Hello Linda , I am forwarding you this info and photos from a deacon at my church - the First Baptist Church of Lebanon . We planted this Japanese Stewartia in memory of one of our faithful members who passed away . This is actually the second Japanese Stewartia that we planted . The first one died immediately after planting , and we felt it was because it was over - watered . The second tree was planted with utmost care and now - we are watching it deteriorate once again . I follow your column faithfully in the New London Day and I know that if anyone can help us - it would be you ! Thank you , Molly Hi Molly , The tree is not getting enough water . A newly planted tree should get about two 5 - gallon buckets of water per week in normal weather . In the heat and rainless summer , the tree should be watered three times a week . For the month of September , continue watering ( twice a week ) until we get consistent , natural rainfall , perhaps toward the end of October or possibly sooner . If the tree survives , it will need to be watered for the next 3-4 summers , two times a week . It takes 3-5 years for a tree to get established ... which means it has a completely established root system to support the growth of the tree with nutrients and water . There's no need to water in the spring and fall when Mother Nature supplies the water . It's also important to put a 2-3 " layer of mulch around the base of the tree to keep the soil cool and moist , but keep the mulch away from the stem ; do not pile it up along the stem . Good Luck . Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR !