Do you mean English Yew or Japanese 'yew'? I've not seen the former plant in my area and it's a bit cold for the latter to do well. I've seen them (the podocarpus) at Lowe's...dead after a cold spell, lol.

There are lots of reason why newly planted trees and shrubs don't make it. Most of those reasons have something to do with 'operator error'. There are so darned many things we do or don't do that might make it difficult for the plant to survive those first few weeks or months.

If the location does not drain well, that could certainly pose a problem. Even heavy red clay can do a fine job of growing healthy plants, but only if it drains.

Planting too deeply, adding lots of extra amendments to the planting hole and backfill, over or under watering....are examples of mistakes we might make along the way. And of course, if your plants happen to be podocarpus (Japanese 'yew'), they could easily have been killed outright during our winter of extended periods of very cold temperatures.

If none of the above rings a bell with you, then we'll continue to work on the mystery.

As for your Crape myrtle: I'm thinking that it is a bit too early to worry. Newly tranplanted trees have to expend a lot of their energy resources on what is called the establishment period (getting lots of new roots out into the surrounding soil) before other functions can be attended to. This is normal and expected.

How long that establishment period may take depends upon the size (diameter of the trunk at the widest part), whether the tree is container grown or field grown (B&B), and other factors. Of course, planting procedures are very important, too. I'm guessing that I've seen more failures due to planting too deeply than any other single problem.

I'd continue to wait on that Crape myrtle, if you feel that you've planted it properly. They are known to be very slow to break buds in the spring....especially so if so newly planted.

How are your shrubs doing? When you said you didn't think the yews were going to make it, what were you seeing that caused you concern? Do they still have green needles on them? Are they putting out any new growth now? Last year I planted a row of spreading yews in front of our porch where one side gets almost full shade and the other gets a lot of sun. I had left them in the pots too long and several looked half dead when I planted them, but they're all putting on lots of new growth this spring and look like they'll recover fully. I've learned to give plants a year or so before giving up on them They'll surprise you sometimes.

If you will, share some details on how you planted them. One thing to remember - dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant! What I mean is to dig a hole as deep as the root ball but twice as wide. Fill the gap with an organic-rich soil, mixing with some of the native soil. Fill the hole with water before placing the plant and soil in, that makes sure the plant will start off with penty of moisture.

My yews are Japanese yews. They have some green needles, but also a LOT of yellow ones. I planted them in large holes with additional organic matter. I planted them level with the surface. I had a friend to tell me I probably planted them too deep as he had grown them before and was told to only plant them half as deep as the container and to mound the dirt up and then mulch heavily. Since they were looking like they were going to die anyway, I took his advice. I only had a couple of them out of 15 that had grown any roots since being planted. Unfortunately, they are not looking any better. I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong!

It is not recommended that the backfill for planting be 'improved' with anything. It is much better for the plant to use exactly what came out of the hole in the first place. There are several reasons for this: the amended material may end up absorbing more water than is healthy for the development of new roots; the amended area may end up like a bathtub...water can get in but is slow to get out; roots may find it easier to stay within that amended location rather than head on out into the native soil. All three of those scenarios can set our plants up for failure, sometimes quite quickly.

So, don't add anything when planting hole-by-hole. No compost, peat moss, fertilizer, moisture holding particles, nothing. If you are preparing an entire planting bed, however, do all of the improving you want. Mulching, however, is one of the best things you can do for the plants. A 2-4 inch layer of the material of your choice; do not pile it up against the trunk but spread it widely.

It is often recommended that we plant VERY high if planting in clay soils. I have clay soil, but it drains very well. Planting exceedingly high ( as you have described) has not been necessary. In those sites that drain very slowly, however, 'high and dry' can be important.

By the way, even in our clay soil, it is important that we do NOT amend the backfill nor improve the planting hole with any organic matter. You will almost certainly create a bathtub for those roots...which are likely to die.

Dig that $10.00 hole, but simply break up the clay in a basin shaped hole and leave the amendments out of it.

By the way, I believe that this is a real border line location for Podocarpus (which you called 'yew'). If you look around at other landscaping, both private and commercial, you won't see them. They simply can't take the cold temperatures we experience here in northern north Alabama.

Here is a link that might be useful: Worth reading about the myth of adding amendments

"I'd continue to wait on that Crape myrtle, if you feel that you've planted it properly. They are known to be very slow to break buds in the spring....especially so if so newly planted."

I'm new to the forum and new to N. Alabama and I feel fortunate to have found this post. I planted a Natchez crape myrtle back in mid-March that sounds just like Suzy's. It was balled & burlapped and grown at a local nursery. It's still green (twigs are not brittle and bark is green just under the surface) but no budding, leafing,or other signs of growth. We planted it "high" in a properly dished hole twice it's width, etc. and mulched it well with shreeded cypress so I think we planed it correctly. The nurseryman is willing to give us a replacement but those he still has aren't as well-developed as the original and besides, if this one is going to make it, there's no reason to swap it out. I hate to miss this growing season if isn't going to make it.

Anybody have any advice on when to call it a lost cause and switch it out?

Welcome to gardenweb.

Most of the crepe myrtles in Gadsden seem to have leafed out, but I'm a great believer in waiting as long as possible before giving up on a plant. They will surprise you a lot of times long after you expected to see leaves. Let us know how it looks several weeks from now -- and good luck. Alice