Planted Placenta- Tree Dying- HELP

[nalusj]

Title say it all...
We planted my placenta on my daughters first birthday. We planted it under a Lavatera maritima, which we have had for over a year and has done AWESOME. It was in the original plastic container until we planted it. Now, there are heaps of yellow flowers and it is droopy. HELP????????????

[ElliesMomma]

how deep did you bury the placenta, and how deep is the tree planted? in other words, is there any chance that you nicked the roots when you buried the placenta? how close to the tree did you plant it? the general rule is to not dig deeply within the perimeter of the width of the tree's branches.

also... how fresh was the placenta? were any chemicals used to preserve it? did it go into the ground alone, or was it wrapped in plastic or any other material?

i can't imagine why an unaltered organ would itself impact a tree's health... ie., wouldn't that be the same as burying a dead pet in the yard -- not likely to cause a tree to die.

just trying to rule out some things that might cause problems.

[Jane]

If you put the placenta too close to the tree, it can "burn" the roots by releasing too much nitrogen or other compounds as it decays. I usually recommend a foot of dirt between the placenta and the nearest root. Also makes sure the placenta is down far enough to avoid animals digging it up. In order to salvage the tree, I'd probably unplant the tree, leaving the placenta behind. Plant the tree somewhere else. After a year, you can replant the tree after the placenta is incorporated into the soil there. You can also pull the tree, put the placenta further down, mix in a bunch of new soil, and replant.

[kriket]

I will guess that you nicked the roots. If the tree was smallish, and nicking one main root could really cut it's food source!

[nalusj]

Thank you for the responses.
I took the tree out of it's original "plastic bin," which I bought it in. It had been in the plastic thing for about a year. I put the placenta, fully defrosted, in the bottom of a wine barrel with awesome soil. Then, I planted the tree in the barrel, as I would any other.
So, nicking the roots probably did not happen. It's still looking droopy but still living. Arg... thinking of taking it out and popping it in the ground. I hate to have the placenta go to waste... for sentimental reasons.

[Erinz]

Planting it in a container with the placenta would make the placenta too close to the root system imo. It may have nitrogen burn going on. Think of it as if you dropped an entire box or two of blood meal in there, kwim? I'd for sure plant the placenta in the ground ---- I planted both of mine, one (far) under a pomegranite and the other (far) under an apricot. Both trees are doing great. I think the pomegranite got too much nitrogen the first couple of years because the leaves were lush and beautiful but it couldn't set fruit. Nearly 4 years later it is setting fruit.

I kwym about the sentimental part of it, I'm very sentimental about mine too We had a whole little ceremony and everything each time.

I say get it out of the pot and make sure the placenta is a good distance from the root system.