no conifer holds its needles forever ...

all shed needles are interior ... and such is increased by any stress .. like potting.. shipping.. taking it home.. and planting it ... etc

all of yours.. looks normal ... but a pic of the whole might change that opinion ...

never focus internal .... watch the growth points... its when those start browning.. that one can intuit that the roots are not working properly ...

keep it properly watered this year.. and in drought next year ... mulch properly ... do you need info on any of that??? ... let it near dry.. in between DEEP waterings ...

ken

Thanks for your reply and the info. Here is a photo of the whole plant. It's not actually in a pot - the pot has no bottom and is pressed firmly into the soil below, so the roots will be able to grow further down.

{{gwi:2124314}}

This post was edited by satisdee on Wed, Feb 4, 15 at 18:04

Whoa,,,,,,Whoa,,,,I hope this is a temp. planting.
conifers grow most of their roots in top 6 in. of soil
this baby won't be happy planted this way,,,,,and planted way to close to building,,,Spartan gets pretty big
ron

Uh oh... I should have done more research. :(

I was planning on trimming the green tops and sides as it grew bigger, to stop it becoming oversized. Maybe I should put it somewhere else? Not sure that I have room for it anywhere else though...

Is there a smaller conifer you recommend that might do okay in this false pot? Or is it completely unsuitable for any conifer?

The reason the pot has no base is because at first I had a bird of paradise in it, and the roots grew too big and broke the bottom of the pot clean off. So it will be my third re-planting of something else in the same position if this one won't do good here. :/

as I said,,,roots use top 6in. of soil,,,,,,,,But,,,,there are many miniature conifers that might do well ...for a while
Juniperus comminus 'Compressa" comes to mind
many,,many others do google search for miniature or conifers in pots,,,,also research ultimate size
I bet Spartan gets 12 ft. tall
good gardening , ron

I also like books,,,go to public library,,,,in u.s. they can order just about any book I want
Australia has some awesome conifer gardens,,,I've seen them in books
ron

as i figured.... the whole.. looks pretty darn good.. for what its been thru ...

next.. you dont need any books... convert to the proper latin name ... and use google to look at images ... i have done this for you at the link ...

as you can see ... it has vast potential.. for where you put it ... so it has to be moved ...

i know nothing about the Cupressus macrocarpa

the pot thing is cool.. doesnt bother me in the least ... i have had many trees .. of which conifers are ... root right down thru the drain holes of a pot .. into mother earth ... i would not give that part another thought ...

one other thought.. on that spot .... is if direct sun hits that corner ... you MIGHT have a problem with sun cooking your TRANSPLANT ... once established.... i doubt any problem ... its all about not cooking a plant that has disturbed roots ...

i simply have no clue what to put in that tiny spot .... perhaps a pic of the greater area ... instead of this little corner.. might inspire some suggestions ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Pot is too small for size of plant right now.

ron ... you understand... its simply a collar.. that there is no bottom in the pot... it is planted in mother earth ...

ken

The fence doesn't get direct sun on it. It's just angled light from the east to the west from the morning to the afternoon.

I noticed in the link you posted that this tree is often used for topiary and bonsai, so would it be possible to just cut it back as it becomes bigger so that size doesn't become a problem?

Still too small - it's barely wider than the top is now.

Yah , ken , I read the whole post .
you mean,this arrangement planted in open ground won't be harmful ? 8 in. of root system circling that sturdy pot top
how many posts on this forum have talked about that
yah we've all seen roots grow out bottom of pot , but good luck with that in long run
And , tuff guy , poster was asking about other conifers appropriate ,,,,,if someone knows the latin name , then you can search,,,,,but for someone new to the subject , books are a great scorce of info,,,,
I have trouble finding good info on interwebs,,,,pictures,growth rates,ultimate size,growing conditions,,,,all in one place
heck,look up plant on ACS database,,,half the time,,,,
No photo,,,on other information on this plant,,,,,,,,,,,,duh
ron ....little sideways smiley face

This post was edited by plantkiller.il.5 on Thu, Feb 5, 15 at 21:22