Here's the dilemma.......I bought two Forest Pansy Redbuds last year in my rabid first year of working in OL&G at Lowes. (among other trees and shrubbery, and many many perennials). One lived quite well, the other, that I planted next to a very long dead trunk of mimosa seemed happy, but when the redbuds were blooming a few weeks ago, I noticed that it wasn't showing ANY signs of life. I scratched the bark to see if any wick was underneath, no green. Some end twigs of the 10 foot tree snapped too easy.
I was going to return it to Lowes (one year, unconditional guarantee, replacement or gift card with total refund, ABSOLUTELY. they like you to bring the dead plant back with the receipt, but most customers if they bring the dead plant back without the receipt, they pretty much honor the replacement) and get another one. I DID pay $29.97 minus my 10% employee discount which actually only saved the tax which is a nightmare here in Tennessee now (a shuddering disgusting 9.75%). I couldn't find the receipt. I never throw them away, but going thru my desk and drawers will be a headache and require days of searching and throwing away many, many accumulated papery things. I have, on the other hand still the bar coded white tag loosely attached to the tree still. And the bamboo it was plastic'd to, also loose. And the identity tag that was on the tree with a stretchy cord with directions on the tag and so forth. I have ALL of those in a huge pile rubber banded and sitting in front of me still. It scares me how many things I got last year, and that the five inch pile of plastic tags only represents one of each variety. That I really got more than one perennial..........oh lord....
My problem----------I was just about to pull up the tree and take it to be returned and credited with another one. No receipt meant taking it to another Lowes and since it's all legitimate, no problem. I even pulled it up and left it sitting next to the dead trunk of the remaining mimosa. Today I noticed little twigs on the bottom of the thin trunk..........with burgandy leaves on them. 2/3'rds of the tree up top is dead. No growth. The roots and lower trunk are still wick. Still alive. Should I cut the dead 2/3rds off at angles and have a stumpy Forest Pansy redbud, or should I take the whole thing in and get another replacement tree that might live this time? Let me know, because if I keep it, fine. I'll cut it and see how it grows. It'll be unusual, but it's still an awesome redbud. If I return it, I need to do it now. That it survived lifting out of it's really good hole and started growing is still amazing to me.......by the way, when I saw the new dark burgandy leaves today, I tamped the soil and root ball back in and watered it. I'm not cruel............
thanks for the opinions. the tally on this will be the deciding factor. madgardener off to pass out now from overworking today (ramble about it later when I can move again)