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Mugo pine Browning

9 years ago

I am in Chicago, sunny area. I just planted this mugo pine this year in mainly pine bark in a container. It pushed a bunch of growth but now It has slowly been browning. Could it be getting too much sun? Too much water as I water it every day.

Comments (8)

  • 9 years ago

    interior browning is normal ... they dont hold those leaves forever ..


    it can be increased by any significant stress .. like potting.. drought... the year before.. bad winter.. etc ..


    perhaps those tips got damaged in transport or planting ...


    too much sun cold be an issue on a new transplant ...


    can you give us some more info on the media mix


    ken





  • 9 years ago

    It's a Pinus mugo 'Jakobsen', maybe it's a problem with this cultivar, I have the same.

  • 9 years ago

    I believe you are downing it.

    Things you can do and hope that you can save it:

    1 - Make sure the media is really well-drained.

    1 part soil. 1 part pine bark (small size). 1 part peat moss. 1 part chicken grits.

    2 - Drill more holes at the bottom of the pot.

    4 holes are ideal.

    3 - Water one every two weeks.

    You need to do these things ASAP or it will have root rot and die.

    It did push out new growth ... so the media seems o.k. Just stop watering now and make sure that the media is slightly moist but not wet. Let the media dry out, then water again.

    Good luck.

    J.N

    PS: P.M 'Jakobsen' takes full sun, but for now - while it is in shock - move it a part-shade area, preferring morning sun. Once it recovers, move it back to sunny area.

    Also you might want to report it. Put a layer of pine bard inside, around the pot to isolate the heat. Your pot is black and it will attract a lot of heat during the day.

  • 9 years ago

    Watering containerized conifers every day is excessive - usually :-) But this appears to be in a very large container (given the size of the plant) and the soil appears to be quite dry. Can you explain to us exactly how you water it? Do you water the container thoroughly until water drains freely from the drainage holes? Or do you just dump a gallon or two on the pot daily? It does make a big difference.

  • 9 years ago

    The look of the soil is probably deceiving. It's a soil that is mainly pine bark so the soil right on top can look a bit dry when just underneath it isn't. I am certain I am not under watering it. I usually water it every morning with a hose on "shower" setting and soak the whole pot until it's totally soaked. I am thinking I could go every other day but it's sunny and hot so I don't want it to go too long. I water all my plants like this and it has been okay. I have alot of plants I should also say I just planted it this year around maybe April/May.

  • 9 years ago

    LOL!! I grow ALL my conifers in containers, most in a pot not nearly as big as the ones you show, and if I water them once a week, it's a lot. I would say you are definitely overwatering if you are soaking the pots on a daily basis.

    My nursery doesn't even water that frequently, even in black plastic nursery pots!

  • 9 years ago

    This cultivar has a tendency to do this. I have three of them, and they all exhibit some of this, especially on the south side.

  • 9 years ago

    The potting medium is a mixture of pine bark, floor dry, and pearlite. Pretty close to the 5-1-1 mix from here with ingredients I had. I didn't use pest but I didn't sift the bark so I think that should help it retain moisture. I do think it's really well draining. The pot has one hole but it is a really large hole that is probably 1-1.5 inches in diameter. Sounds like I should try to water it a bit less. I am going to assume it's not because it needs fertilizer. I use a very weak application if foilage pro once a week and have added a handful of Dynamite slow release fertilizer when I planted it. I really appreciate all the tips. The people on here are always so nice and helpful