IMO, leans such as either tree shown in this thread are ultimately insignificant. There will be so much growth in various directions as to make it completely non-issue. OP, while it is admirable that you bothered to follow directions with the planting, those cards are just as often wrong as right. The usual "plant at same depth as in the pot" or whatever completely misses the point that the root flare, that zone of buttressed growth where roots diverge from trunk, is to be left visible upon completion. Since trees are dug in nursery rows after various cultivation practices have thrown soil up over what will be the root ball, that can be completely obscured. Also in potted stock, the plant may well have been placed too deeply into the pot at some point. So directions of that sort are virtually of no value. I always advise that when in doubt about the truth of this concept, people take a walk in the woods and perhaps for the first time in their lives, see how trees actually grow. They kind of sit on top of the ground. And yes, a too-deep planting surely can start a tree down the road to bark/stem abnormalities although as Ark also points out, we can't know for certain what caused this with yours. +oM

Totally extravagant bit of floof, that! Snowpea in Montreal

Hey @User they have quite a few of yours--and evidently, they say Marianne is the best. :) Here's the page. If it is all above board, I'd be happy to order these from them. Two of the three I ordered from RVR last year were completely wrong (if you remember that thread last summer) which was VERY frustrating. Thankfully Jeri Jennings turned out to be correct and is growing beautifully. Since you are here, may I ask about Mel's Heritage? Simple question--best in full sun? Or is this shade tolerant? Morning sun only situation here in Portland, Oregon.

Kate, there are a lot of rhubarb brownie recipes on the web. I was thinking about them what you said about the chocolate. I was looking for something like my banana "brownie" recipe which uses white chocolate. Rather than reinventing the wheel, because I can't imagine a straight substitution of rhubarb for banana, I found a recipe along those lines, which I hope to make tonight or tomorrow. I'll let you know once I've gotten a good result (no need to waste more rhubarb!) Meantime, I had found a couple of custard recipes, and was trying to squeeze the makings between work-type stuff and dinner, the crustless one, but I was rushing, and when I saw that this recipe called for a crust, I didn't remember that I had a different one. They're very similar, so I think they have a common source, or one inspired the other. The crustless one reads like impossible pie. The crust one has half the flour. Anyway, I just made the crust one without the crust. This is the recipe. I scanted the sugar by a quarter and it's still quite sweet. Next time, I'll try 2/3 of what it says. I also measured the ingredients by eye, except the rhubarb. The custard is only two eggs worth, but it was sufficient, since the pint is just to hold together the rhubarb. Anyway, we think it's fantastic. Quick and easy and very rhubarby. The orange zest and juice just enhance it. It is a little wet crustless, since there's so much water in rhubarb. A nice crust to soak it up might be nice... But it's so good as is, as more of a pudding than a pie, I see no need to "fix" it. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/rhubarb-custard-pie-recipe-2107834 This is the one I was supposed to be making (and posted first as a couple of following posts attest): https://www.kitchenfrau.com/crustless-rhubarb-custard-pie/