How much sun does it get?

tj

Probably about 5 hours a day for most of the year. A bit less in autumn when some oaks make it shadier there for longer in the day. In the spot I'm thinking of moving it to, it would be full sun. (I didn't plant it there originally lol because the area only became full sun two weeks ago, when some trees were taken down.)

:)

Dee

I have to say it doesn't look like any other Vintage Gold I've see before.....much taller and lankier than typical. VG does tend to be more rounded/mounded and dense. But IME, dwarf conifers often will have growth spurts out of character and that could be down to the cultivar, less than ideal siting....and/or perhaps some benign neglect :)

Siting in full sun should help but I'd also be inclined to reduce that taller leader by half.

I agree with Ken…well, at least for the most part. I don’t think sun is the issue, but maybe improved horticultural practices would lead to better results. It looks like there’s another plant coming up against/through the False Cypress. If so, removing it would be job one.

The site looks difficult. Is the ground hard/compacted? I think a wide mulch ring with annual relenishment might result in a more vigorous and healthier plant. Supplemental watering during dry periods might help, at least for the next year or two.

Good luck with it!

Finally Ken, after all these years, I have learned what your profession was….. funny, I was sure you were a botanist, agricultural professor or arborist…..☺️

debra

..IF AND WHEN YOU STOP MOVING IT ...

Ken, lol, this tree was planted in this spot at least 15 years ago (if not 20 years) and has never been moved. It's not like I've been playing musical trees lol.

"...and you need at least 3 to 5 years.. before you start telling us.. its not growing right..."

I'm not sure where in my original post you inferred that it's been moved often or that it's under three years old. It's just obviously not doing well and while I already confessed that it has been neglected, I'm wondering if a different location would help.

The shade in this area has increased over the years. I also now have an area where some trees were cut down so it's suddenly sunny. This newly sunny spot is also much more readily accessible to a water source, so it would get both more sun and more water.

If, after 15 years, it might be a better idea to move it to a more ideal location, I'll move it. If it's better to keep it where it is and try to take better care of it there, I'll try that - although I can't do anything about the sun in its' current location.

maackia, there are plants BEHIND the tree, but not THROUGH it. It's just so sparse that you can see right through it lol. And yes, you are spot on - the soil here is rather hard and compacted. The bed behind has decent soil - the soil there was amended for several years - but the chamy itself was planted just outside the bed in the existing soil with no amendments.

Even though it doesn't appear to be Vintage Gold, so who knows what it is, I'm guessing (hoping? lol) that after 15 or more years it may be nearing its' mature height. Hence my question about whether there's hope for it to fill out.

Ken, I had a math teacher in high school who always told us to go with our first answer lol. I think of him often (especially when watching Jeopardy lol!). But if I plant a hosta in full sun or a rose in full shade, there's nothing wrong with moving it to a better location. I get that this is not a perennial, and that trees are long-term things, but I think 15-20 years is a fair amount of time to re-evaluate! :)

Dee

(who is not confident enough to not second-guess herself lol!)