Question
I recently planted 12 Laurel Oak, Live Oak and Drake Elms.  The Laurels and Drake seem to be suffering, leaf discoloration in the Clearwater, FL Fall heat.  I've been watering daily.  Will the stress subside?  Is it common that 65 Gal containers struggle in transplant?  Pls advise

Answer
Mike:
It can be a struggle for the larger trees to acclimate anytime they are being placed in a new surrounding. Be careful not to overwater, especially if there is much clay in the soil.  I usually "flood" the hole as soon as I get the tree placed and fill added. This gets the air pockets out of the hole.  Roots that grow into an air pocket often stop.  A good "flooding" puts the soil in contact with the roots.  After that initial deep watering, I usually give they a slow, but deep watering every other day for a couple or three weeks.  If you have much sand where you are, you may have to adjust the frequency up a bit since the sand will drain faster than clays. Planting trees during the dormant season may help them acclimate a bit better.

Regards
Steve