Monkey Puzzle tree on Greek Island
Loucas
Posts: 3
Dear members, I am a 
passionate amateur gardener who has imported in his garden on Chios island, in Greece a number of trees that are not native to the island's landscape. My garden benefits so far from two Colorado spruces (1 of which I may have infested after pruning it a few years ago - yet it is still alive and it is about 4m tall), 2 Norway spruces, which range between 2 and 3m tall, 2 cedar atlantica trees (grey and green leave varieties), which range between 2 and 3m tall and two young sequoia trees (one is the giganteum sequoia and the other is the sempervirens one) which I planted last year and are doing great (in fact doubled in hight within a year). Nevertheless, I also fell in love with the money puzzle tree and wanted to give it a try. The first two young specimens I introduced from the UK a few years ago died in their pots about two months later, and I now presume that this has been due to overwatering as I remember watering them so frequently that they had water stagnating at their trays. Last year, I decided to give it another try and I planted the tree in late June in my field/garden after it had grown its new shootings. I chose a place where it gets full sun and where the hot sun of the summer would stop affecting it after 17:45 in the afternoon (so as to protect it somehow from the burning sun of the summer). I also laid around it some mulch to keep the roots cool. Please let me say that in Greece during summer, I have to be irrigating the trees (which takes place late at night), as temperatures in my place range between 24 - 36 or even 37 (during some days) degrees Celsius (during winter and spring temperature ranges from 0 - 23 degree Celsius). While I had read that the tree needs wet but well drained soil, particularly during hot weather, I had programmed my system to be watering it initially 2 and then 3 times a week for approx. 20minutes each time. I am sure that the soil must have been constantly wet even though it was not getting muddy, at least at the surface. While the tree was doing great until middle August, soon after that it suddenly turned pail and yellowish (it also developed some burn-looking spots in some of its leaves) and eventually it died. Despite of the fungicide that I used and the drastic reduction of its watering, I was unable to save it. The soil in my place has a ph around 7.4, which means it is alkaline but I have read that it does well in a variety of soils.
As I feel that I did not follow the rule on prudent watering (and given that I have come across in a number of websites that it does not do well when watered too much when the weather is too hot; some websites recommend watering deeply once a week or two during hot weather), I now bought a new one which is, as the recently deceased one, in a 3-5lt pot and it is about 70cm tall. Can anyone please tell me:
1. Whether I should plant it in the same place where it gets full sun from morning time during the summer (around 9am) until about 17:45.
2. Would watering once a week save me from losing the tree again and if yes, how much water would be sufficient for a newly planted tree with roots developed in a 3-5lt pot?
3. I plan to plant the tree over the next 20 days now that the we have got some good rain and temperatures are cool to give it a more comfortable start and time to adjust to the local environment.
4. Should I use mulch again and should I keep spraying it with fungicide as a precautionary measure during spring and summer?
Any comments are more than welcome. I attach here some picture of my sick monkey puzzle tree (now dead) and also of my young and thriving sequoias. I also attach a panoramic picture where I have circled the planting place of the previous and probably the new tree. An araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Pine of about 4m tall is located 12m away; Norfolk pines do very well on Chios Island).
Do you think that I stand a better chance this time or am I trying in vain?
Thanks ever so much,
Loucas
Last edited: 01 December 2017 22:22:13
Posts
Just looking at the pictures, it's too hot and too dry. The plant is very unhappy. Although they like heat, they prefer a humid heat in summer. Even some dappled shade, they don't mind that. The soil looks very dusty, again not ideal growing conditions. These trees prefer more moist neutral to acidic conditions. You will always be fighting the elements if you decide to plant it there again. That's my opinion. Let's see if others have a different view.
Thank you very much for your comments. Indeed, during summer the climate is hot and mostly dry. Nevertheless, my cedar trees and pines have been doing great, overall in this place. The same applies for my two Norfolk Pines (Araucaria Heterophylla) and up to now for my two sequoias which as far as I know require a lot of water. I have planted the sequoias on the borders with a little stream that is adjacent to my field and so far they seem to enjoy it a lot as per the pictures above. They also benefit from partial shade that some giant oaks and cypresses cast on them. Perhaps, I should consider plating the new araucaria close to that stream too (it gets dry in summer, but the soil is a lot more humid compared to other areas of the field)? Also, my internet search highlights that araucaria araucana adapts to a variety of soils except the heavy clay ones. Thanks again!
You are a brave soul indeed attempting some of those species ; whilst the Cedars have a fighting chance , the same cannot be said for Norway Spruce . These originate from areas with rainfall up to 4-5 m per year!!
They are doomed from the start ! Sequoias need massive amounts of water also.
Araucaria excelsa is in a different league to A.araucana ; coming from frost-free regions . Your 'Monkey-Puzzle' needs ample moisture and a fairly cool climate . Watering artificially is fine now , but what about when your trees get larger (if they make it) ?
As an interesting afterthought (to myself anyway) , think of what masses of Aloes , Agaves , Yuccas , specimen Cacti , Beschorneria , Dasylirion and tree-Euphorbias would look like ; all these would form an interesting association especially with your Pinus species . Look at some of the succulent gardens in the US , maybe give some inspiration !
Yes, these too all need water , but not the copious amounts your trees are going to need .
Anyway , all the best and good luck to you and your trees
Thank you all for your inputs! I appreciate your comments and I do have in mind that I may lose some or many of these trees in the near or medium term. Nevertheless, I do keep my hopes as well, as your comments ignore the fact that plants can adapt (up to a certain degree, of course).
As for my Norway spruces, both are not 3 and 4 metres tall respectively, which is not too bad for this area. And when it comes to sequoias perhaps it is worth noting that they even thrive in hotter areas, i.e. Cyprus, which is much southern of where my place is located in the map.
My garden does benefit from Yuccas and aloes too... but the place is not as dry as to justify use of Cacti!
Thank you again!
Have you had any success with your A. araucana tree?
Like you, I am a fan of this species. I grow three from seed currently and plan on planting them in a climate similar to yours or perhaps even more extreme (-20C to 40C, hot dry summers).
Have you tried using shade-cloth, as an extra form of heat protection during high summer? I have seen it done on avocado trees in Arizona (for which Arizona climate is "too hot and dry") successfully. The trick apparently is to use shade cloth while the plants are still young, and let them "reach to the light" as they grow. The resulting older trees should be more heat tolerant.
Best,
Ivanche