On 12/11/2011 22:21, kingrichard wrote:
in september i bought 50 cell grown weston red cedar's to grow a hedge
but the problem is every plant has turned a grey.

i'll explain everything what i did when i planted them.

i used a bulb digger to dig out all the holes and then i used the same
soil and mixed in a little bonemeal and watered
every 2 days for a week. 1 week later i watered in some bio bizz fish
mix because some of the plants had a little brown on the bottom of them.

and now all the plants have tuned grey

has anyone got any advice for me or what i should i have done?






Because a hedge is going to be in situ for many years, it is important
to prepare the site properly. A bulb planter doesn't make nearly a big
enough hole, nor does it open the surrounding soil texture sufficiently;
in fact, it tends to compact it. Your plants had little chance of
spreading their roots into the soil beyond their planting hole. You
effectively created a sump for water to collect, and I suspect your
trees have succumbed to a Phytophthera fungal disease.

You need to clear the site of weeds and signicant roots, and dig over
the hedge site somewhat wider than required. Have a word with your
local garden centre about a fungicide to treat phytophthera. Apply this
to the planting site. If this is your idea of a chemical too far, then
at least use a mycorhizal treatment as you plant,to give your new trees
a good start. *Don't try and use both treatments, as the fungicide will
destroy your (usually expensive) mycorhizal treatment*.

Create a planting trench in which you can lay out your plants. Use a
tree and shrub compost mixed with the excavated soil, ready for
infilling the trench around the plants. Water the trench. This will
show you if you have created enough drainage. If the water sits a while
before draining away, fork over the bottom of the trench. Now put in a
layer of the improved soil, plus the mycorhizal treatment. Position
your trees, then work back along the trench, straightening the trees as
required and backfilling with soil. Water in well.

Because you will have improved drainage on the site, you can water
regularly without drowning your plants. A dressing of bonemeal is a
good idea, but can attract foxes who will dig up your trees:~(. Wait
till the trees have clearly 'taken', then try the bonemeal - but check
regularly that the foxes haven't disturbed your plants.

HTH.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay