JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I think that the idea of being sort of tough love on winterizing trees is the wrong approach for one thing. It is important to keep them cold enough to keep them dormant, but beyond that it's just a stress on the tree. I would imagine that your 360 turn from protecting to tough love is part of the issue here, along with aftercare of the tree after repotting. If they are already stressed by a harsh winter, repotted bare rooting, and cutting off many roots, then aftercare issues would be enough to finish off the tree. I don't really think summer potting is the whole answer, but if it works for you, then it does. But it still means that your trees could be growing faster and healthier overall.
