I suppose if you tampered too much with the roots, the upper portions of the plant could be showing these symptoms.

I wouldn't be happy, but I'd probably wait as its pretty early on to know for certain. Transplant shock does seem plausable, though.

Don't overwater either though! That might be it as well especially if you (might) have poor drainage. The symptoms actually appear more to be of too much water.

The amount of sun for that large of a plant will have no effect whatsoever, FYI. The plant needs sun at its current size.

Dax

Thanks Dax. So how often should I be watering them?
I thought once a day but maybe less?
The soil has good drainage should I consider
transplanting to get it going?

Since part of the top only is blighted-looking I think it's a blight.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Myth of Fragile Roots

I'm gonna see how it does for the next week and maybe only water once every 2 days? I cut the roots wrapped around it when I took it out of the pot and shook off most of the potting soil to encourage growth. Was this wrong?

>Was this wrong?See discussion linked to above.

Thanks, bboy - good article.

ron/bboy ... where do you see blight above???? .. i am not arguing its not there... i would just like to be able to learn how to see it ....

is there any chance that this is just prior damage that just 'showed' after transplant.. and the heat of summer hit ....

most conifers hold needles 1 to 3 years [excluding deciduous of course]... damage can occur to the plant .. and the needles can die.. for lack of a better term .. but being evergreen ... they stay green/blue for a long period after... this makes ID the time of injury VERY HARD to determine ....

this happens to me with new buds and frost damage.. the actual damage showing many months after the frost... and it is very prevalent that things happens [like winter sun and winter wind] .... during winter.. and the damage does not appear until the temps warm in late spring ...

i would point out the the damage.. if that is all of it in the picture.. is extremely localized... and it could have been IGOR throwing the thing up on the truck for shipping from the grower .... or some other mechanical injury that predates your ownership of the plant ...

i would research blight.. take corrective action if you are convinced... but take other things into consideration ..

in the realm of the time frame of this plant... maybe 100 years.. that damage is minimal at best... and i know its bugging the heck out of you.. but just maybe nothing is wrong... when that thing is 2 or 3 times its size ... this little ugly isnt really going to be remembered ....

trim out the ugly .. and it may well please you a bit more ...

good luck

ken

Heck, it could be grubs chewing on the roots too. It could be a million different things. Honestly, the damage looks exactly like that inflicted from bagworms, but you'd see cocoons.

Pam - I only meant that (maybe) the roots were so entangled, that now a week later, the plant is under stress.

You know, unless you're standing right there, and can dig the thing up and look for all these different things, it's a big guessing game on the internet. He said he cut the roots, that makes me wonder a bit though. I've read that fragile roots myth article and it's a good article.

As per blight, you'll see discoloration and needle loss. Then again, too much water, and you'll see discoloration and needle loss. And third, the person/guy says there were no spider mites, they too cause some type of needle discoloration but usually stippling.

Heck maybe it has anthracnose??? Blight seems quite reasonable, but why now??? Transplant shock seems the likliest of all with the combination of too much water - or at least I think it does...

I was just trying to give good suggestions.

Good luck though.

Dax

Thanks, Dax. I have a lot to learn, so I ask questions.

So there are often many possible causes of a symptom or problem. Short of digging the tree up, a drastic measure, you try to rule out the improbable and deal with what's left. I understand this.

I want to thank you and the other experts for your good advice, your patience, and the encouragement you give to us, the inexperienced folks who find this place.

On the branches that are dieing back...have you looked further into the body of the plant to see if something girdled those stems?? Are the photo's showing the only damage on the tree?? I have seen fresh colorado grafts in the spring break dormancy, start to grow and elongate, then "deflate" from poor/imcomplete union.For a larger plant, I think it is feasible for a large branch to do this, but I have never seen it happen. As far as root damage, I think you would see a more "uniform" stress on the entire tree from that.

Well this tree continues to decline rather quickly. The other side of it is showing the exact same signs of first losing all the needles and than the branch breaking off from the slightest touch. Weird because the top of the tree looks fine but the front and back sides are in a rather sad state.

exercise your warranty ...

or wait until fresh stock comes in in fall ...

it isnt worth the battle ...

ken

Bought 3 - 8 foot dwarf blue spruces from a nursery. The lower part of the tree is limp and loses a lot of needles when I run my hand through it. Are they in shock? Will they come back? The nursery owner says they are in shock.