unknown conifer dying?

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

HI guys,

I bought a conifer on sale with no tags. Haven't done that before, and won't again. When I took it out of the planter, it looked root-bound, but since I'm hardly an expert, I ignored it. I've planted it in it's temporary conifer bed, and it has looked depressed since.

It's been in the ground since May and hasn't improved. In the container at the plant store, the needles were upright...it droops in my yard. It's planted in a mixture of local dirt, happy frog and holly tone, which I do for all of my conifers in this bed and they look great. I deep soak once a week, except in May when we had heavy rainfall. The bed was composted for a year prior to any planting. I'm in the process of creating another conifer bed, which is full of compost and awesomeness until it's ready next Spring.

Anyway, it's in full sun, and has a nice blue-green tone on the outside. Brown needles on the inside though:(, which started about a month ago, and has increased. I'm prepared to do anything to save it or at least make it happy again :)

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Comments (5)

bamboo_nuts
11 years ago
It's more likely the root rot is the culprit.
shacute thanked bamboo_nuts
shacute
Original Author
11 years ago
Is there anything I can do to fix it? I'm in Zone 5, central Iowa.
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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
"...it looked root-bound, but since I'm hardly an expert, I ignored it...."

Did you at least tease out the roots? If not, when you watered did you soak the rootball?

tj
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
whats the native soil ...

let it near dry in between waterings ...

dig and replant in sept or so .. do root surgery ...

never fert at planting ...

i dont see any yellowing...and frankly it doesnt look that bad ... flop could also be fert causing lush growth ...

ken
shacute thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
shacute
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI. I teased the roots, like I usually do with plants when I buy them, but was unsure about how much I should do. I've only cut into miscanthus roots after purchasing, but I know their root system is much different than conifers so didn't want to damage the conifer.

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5. There was construction material in the soil where we now have our beds so we had that removed and then added soil from other parts of the yard mixed in with compost. A student at the university here tested the soil after and said it wasn't suited (my husband relayed this info with no numbers:)) for the acid-loving plants that we love:), hence the hollytone. I haven't fertilized it but we added leaf compost as mulch after planting, and of course the hollytone mixed in. I'll follow your suggestions...thanks Ken.