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Pinus mugo Winter Gold browning and dropping needles

Hello there, I’ve had my beautiful Pinus mugo in a large pot in good quality MPC in an east facing position for over a year and it was very happy and thriving. However, in the last couple of months, as shown in the photos, the underneath needles have quickly turned brown and are dropping but the ends still seem healthy and contain new growth (it’s currently changing its green summer coat for its yellow winter one!) I can’t see any sign of blight etc but wonder if it is in terminal decline, whether I should be trimming out the discoloured stems or it will recover?
Many thanks.

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Compost isn't enough for something like  Pinus to thrive for any length of time. No shrub or tree can manage in compost long term as it isn't substantial enough.
    You need a soil based compost, or your ordinary garden soil if it isn't too alkaline. They need lots of moisture but also good drainage.
    They will drop needles anyway, but should be otherwise green if they're healthy. 

    You'll struggle to keep it potted long term though, unless you root prune etc.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I'm in complete agreement with @Fairygirl about the compost, but its demise may well be down to insufficient water during the heatwave/drought too.

    Conifers will die, but due to their thick needles there's no sign of death until some months later when the needles start to go brown then drop.

    I had one many years ago planted in the garden. They remain very small for a long time, so with a decent size pot and good compost it should be happy in a pot for many years.


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Thank you for your answers, I’ve learnt something inasmuch as I had no idea that I should have used soil based compost. :s Do you think it is beyond help then or should I have a go at repotting?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    You could see how it goes until around April/May next year.
    If it is still alive, then by that time new growth should be obvious.
    But I wouldn't get your hopes up too much.

    If you replace it use a soil-based compost - John Innes is what you're looking for.
    They do produce an ericaceous version, but it's not widely available.
    If JI Ericaceous isn't available, then use John Innes No.2 or 3 (2 ideally as it has less fertilizer).
    Whichever soil-based compost you choose, mix in a good 20% of grit for drainage and around 20% ordinary ericaceous compost (any brand) added in will lighten the mix and provide good drainage.

    It's important to ensure free drainage especially over winter, so pot feet (or something similar) are important. Yous is on some pebbles, so in that location feet aren't needed.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You can certainly try repotting @Sarah248. It may not work, but it depends how serious any problem might be. 
    As @Pete.8 says, it's often too late when you start seeing the signs of a failure to thrive, and the most common reason is drought, but if you can get it in soil, you might be in time.  You can buy loam based products at GCs -look for a John Innes one. There are various types but it'll tell you on the packaging. J. Innes is just a formula. Unfortunately, it isn't always made clear that shrubs or trees in pots need a bit more than compost, so don't worry - it's a very common problem. I'm quite sure I had no idea about that when I started gardening    :)

    When you repot, just make sure the rootball is thoroughly moist  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Thank you so much - really appreciated.  :)

    I’ll do my bit with the soil and try and be patient! It’s a shame because I think Pinus mugos are very attractive plants in containers and that one cost me a fortune - but at least, thanks to you both, I hopefully won’t make an expensive mistake again. 

    The point about drought is a good one. We were away during the height and it’s quite possible that the long damage was inflicted then. 
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited November 2022
    There is not much you can do right now.  Leave it through the winter and early spring and reappraise in late spring.  New growth should then be obvious and anything dead also.    

    MPC may not be the best longterm, but won't have had time to affect your plant's present condition.  Which, by the way, is far from terminal.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd address it now, and hopefully the winter rain/snow will help it through @Sarah248. Over a year in MPC isn't great, especially if you had those long hot, dry spells that many areas in the south had.
    A tapering pot like that also has less volume, so if you feel like forking out for a square or straight sided pot, that can help. Avoid terracotta, unless you give it a coat of PVA or varnish, because they're very porous so you lose a lot of moisture to the pot too. I have some round, straight sided pots [treated terracotta] which I use for my sweet peas, as they need lots of moisture and that's also good for stability if it's windy    :)

    It certainly won't have helped if it was short of moisture for a while, but fingers crossed you can revive it  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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