you might want to also post in the houseplant forum ... as we dont specialize in potted plants ....

my gut tells me it is severely stressed... from the watering situation ...

but i dont know if i would stress it more ... by repotting it .. you might just put it over the edge ... who knows ...

your watering issues are.. as of now.. not media related ... so why are you thinking new media is necessary ..

media does wear out.. but you havent given us a pic.. nor any info about your old media ... anything indicating this is a current issue ...

and no... fert'g a stressed plant.. does not solve the stress ... if you already did it.. dont worry about it.. but it wasnt a solution to these problems ...

once you solve a problem ... it can take a long time.. for the plant to settle back down ... and the biggest problem.. is not killing it with more love ...

with the insult to the root mass... it is not surprising.. that you have browning.. and its not surprising it is showing.. in the heat of the summer... but you can not.. come to the conclusion that it is new damage.. not related to the prior problem ... heck.. you could have damaged those brown parts carrying it outside...

pic of the whole.. and more info ... and patience... is my best advice ...

ken

You neglected a very important aspect regarding the health of the plant; Namely, what does NEW growth look like? Is it normal or deformed? If normal, your plant should over come whatever what bothering it.

I agree, do not fertilize a stressed plant, and provide a overall image of the plant

Ken -

The medium is (hopefully) potting soil. I HAVE fertilized it but very dilutey, so I don't think I'll have a problem there. I am very gentle with this plant as it is the most expensive and is my apartment's xmas tree. It has been outside for about 3 months but we have only had a handful of hot days. It has an inch of pea stone to keep my cat from digging and well...ya know...also, it looks nice.

Nj -

The new growth looks great. The tallest of the 2 (there was 3) is just about to grow another star. I have been trimming off the bits that turn brown. Should I be doing that?

Yes, no problem, cut out anything dead, but frankly, your tree does not look that bad...as there is nice new growth. By nature, these trees tend to shed lower leaves so may appear leggy even in the best of circumstances. But they DO regrow from branches that are partly dead...did on mine at least. But they will not regrow branches that are lost from further down the tree.

How gradual was the transition from indoor plant to outdoor plant? I have one also, and it is hard to be perfect with the transition of light intensity. If that is without a doubt, not the problem, then I don't have any other theory's, others mentioned the watering thing.

I don't see evidence of it from the picture, but Norfolk Island pines are susceptible to spider mites when grown in dry indoor conditions, so keep an eye out for tiny mottled spots on the foliage and webbing (stressed plants are more susceptible).

As a precaution, should I spray it with some mild soapy water?