Rob
Help me Save my Columnar Norway Spruce Trees... Please!
It's been a scorcher this year I know but we bought 5 beautiful 10 ft Columnar Norway Spruce trees in the spring and planted them with good soil and drainage. But this heat is just killing them. Been over 100 degrees for 15 days straight up here in Boise, ID. They look sun scorched. We have a drip system and they get a good deep watering 2-3 times a week but just looks like it is not working. Any advice would be appreciated!
TIA
Rob
TIA
Rob
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HoneyBerry
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
- Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State
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HoneyBerry
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
- Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State
I am pretty sure the tree in that last picture won’t survive. Too many dead needles. The reality is that you might lose all of your trees. You might try watering every day while temps are over 100 degrees, but no guarantees that it will save them.
I too have some scorched plants from the hot weather. They were most affected when temps were over 100.
I went against my better judgement and transplanted some lilacs in the spring this year and they all died. They probably would have survived if this extreme heat wave hadn’t suddenly showed up like it did.
I too have some scorched plants from the hot weather. They were most affected when temps were over 100.
I went against my better judgement and transplanted some lilacs in the spring this year and they all died. They probably would have survived if this extreme heat wave hadn’t suddenly showed up like it did.
Sorry, but they do look like former trees. Your unusually hot and dry weather conditions did not help much. When it comes time to replant the spruces that do not make it, I would make a suggestion. Remove the rocks back about two or three feet from the base of the trees and replace with a mulch that will reduce the heating and that allows for more water retention. Wood chip mulch is what most folks use. Be sure to make it like a donut rather than a volcano.
Thanks everyone for the replies. We did a major landscaping project here in March/April and maybe should have held off on the spruce trees. Bought them at a local nursery at their current size. Everything else (plants, other trees, roses) is surviving with plenty of water. Just seems 100-105 degrees for 10 days was just too much. I did pull all the rock away from the base and dug down to remove some of the clay soil and put in some new soil from Home Depot. Now watering like crazy. Hope to not lose them all but looks like we should be prepared for that.
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HoneyBerry
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- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:10 pm
- Location: Zone 8A Western Washington State
I noticed ‘clay soil’
is it really clay? may not be good for the trees if truly clay
the nursery probably has planting recommendations
they might be able to plant the trees for you for a fee
the trees are rather tall
I am wondering if they were they in a pot or dug up at the nursery at time of purchase
is it really clay? may not be good for the trees if truly clay
the nursery probably has planting recommendations
they might be able to plant the trees for you for a fee
the trees are rather tall
I am wondering if they were they in a pot or dug up at the nursery at time of purchase
In northern Idaho, I find native spruce along mountain streams. It makes me wonder about their root systems and water requirements.
There are many blue spruce used in landscaping. During windstorms, there seems to be some problems with that. During the last few storms, 4 trees fell within a mile of my home. Three of them were blue spruce. One was a black locust but it was growing right beside another locust and the 2 might have been the same tree but I don't believe so.
There may be an additional problem for the neighborhood spruce. I have read that they prefer acidic soil. Our soil tends towards alkaline although this may not be true in forested mountain canyons.
Steve
There are many blue spruce used in landscaping. During windstorms, there seems to be some problems with that. During the last few storms, 4 trees fell within a mile of my home. Three of them were blue spruce. One was a black locust but it was growing right beside another locust and the 2 might have been the same tree but I don't believe so.
There may be an additional problem for the neighborhood spruce. I have read that they prefer acidic soil. Our soil tends towards alkaline although this may not be true in forested mountain canyons.
Steve