Asked June 01, 2021, 4:35 PM EDT
We have three white pines, originally planted in fall, 2018. Two of them died and were replaced in fall 2019. The landscapers who replaced them told us they died because of poor drainage. They are planted in mostly clay, in a fairly low area. I dug a trench about 18" deep and installed a french drain which runs off into a ditch. When I penetrated the root ball hole with the trench, it was full of water but drained into the french drain. Now, the two replacement trees look like they are dying. In the attached photos, the tree on the far right is the original survivor, which appears to be in good health. The center one is the worst, so the closeup photos are of it (back side). Does this look like it could still be a drainage problem?
Livingston County Michigan