Expert: Jim Hyland - 5/14/2007

Question
I planted two 12+ foot clump heritage river birch trees in my back yard last fall.  
At this point, about half of each tree has budded to the size of an inch or so
leaves.  There is no pattern to the budding at all; though most is toward the
bottom of the tree, some is all the way up.  I scratched the bark in a few places,
and it's green underneath, but will it bud out completely and when?????  

Answer
If the color under the bark is green it should bud out just give it time. When depends on where you are located--here in Alabama USA some trees were set back by a late freeze and just in the last couple of weeks leafed out again. I would expect the foliage to not be a full the first year do to the shock and stress of the planting. This is normal. Keep them watered during dry spells with 1 inch of water per week and if they are not mulched -mulch around them with not more than 4 inches of mulch keeping the mulch away from the trunk itself.