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Newly planted tree dying, help!
janeyD
Posts: 3
Please can someone help me. My beautiful tree looks like it might be dying. It's the most expensive tree I have ever bought and it is in pride of place on new patio. I have fed it and watered it loads since noticed starting to go brown but it's getting worse. Can it be saved?
It is a PINUS PINEA HALF STANDARD 35 LITRE POT. It has been planted about 3 months. Very worried about it.
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What sort of compost is it planted in? I would have put it in John Innes No 3 loam-based compost and added a lot of horticultural grit to improve the drainage.
You say that you've given it lots of water - these trees like well-drained soil - could you have over-watered it?
And don't forget that even evergreens lose some leaves throughout the year.
Last edited: 28 May 2016 09:28:20
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you for your reply.
I think I put it in just a general compost, it is on top of a gabion retaining wall so I was worried it was too dry as the drainage through the bricks is probably too good!
I presumed a fir didn't need much water so didn't water it much to start with but have since read new trees need loads of water....
It has lost more needles since this picture and even the odd one on the end branches seem to be turning brown!
Could it be too late? Am I right in thinking the needles don't come back?
I have been giving it fish bone and blood.
It's not clear from the photo how deep the compost is. Trees of that size need quite a depth of soil. At least a couple of feet.
I would replant in a mix of JI 3 and grit as I suggested. - that should contain enough nutrients for quite a while.
Personally I wouldn't feed again until next spring when I would give one dose of Fish, Blood and Bone as on the pack, and again in early summer.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Janey, you also need to replace those ties on the tree with tree ties that will allow for expansion. Those look fairly tight and appear to be cutting into the trunk of your tree
I will do all those things, I did wonder about the ties to be honest. Fingers crossed.
Thanks very much
Good luck, what a beautiful garden by the way.
Janey, I grow young Scots Pines from seed which are closely related and they do lose needles near the trunk at this time of the year so I think it is perfectly normal. However, the advice given above is sound and worth following.
I agree with Ladybird they do look to tight.I'd angle those tree posts has well.Als invest in some proper tree ties.