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Old 25-06-2003, 03:20 PM
Diane
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di
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Old 25-06-2003, 04:32 PM
Doug Kanter
 
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Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

In order of likelihood:

1) Totally out of whack soil acidity: It's a plant that wants acid soil. I
can't tell you the precise pH range, but when you go to a real garden center
to buy more potting soil, a soil test kit, a bigger pot, and the right acid
plant food, they'll be able to guide you. The test kit will have a chart
inside. As for advice while you're there. There are little bags of chemicals
you can also use to adjust pH, but I've never had to use them so I don't
remember their names. Potassium kaflerpinide or something.... :-) They're
basic chemicals, not like pesticides or anything.

2) Wildly varying soil moistu Because of wind & sun, potted plants
outdoors can go from being properly moist to dangerously dry in a matter of
hours (for small pots), or a day or two for bigger pots, especially clay
pots. They're the prettiest pots, but they wick moisture away from the soil.
When you repot, get a pot that's quite a bit larger than you think you need.
Three times the size of the rootball would be right for that tree. When you
water, take a moment to thoroughly wet down the outsides of clay pots.

3) Hot pot: To varying degrees, all plants want *some* sort of specific
conditions, in terms of root temperature. If the tree is in the sun and
nothing's shading the pot, then the roots are hotter than the top of the
tree. That's unnatural for the tree you're talking about. If you repot, buy
a light-colored pot - at least as light as the normal reddish clay pots.
And, try and find a way to shade the pot from all-day sun. Maybe you could
build a simple little moveable wooden wall, like a room partition, just high
enough to shade the pot. Use wood that's similar to what your deck's made
of, and it won't look weird.

4) Rootbound - outgrowing the pot. When you water the tree, does water pour
out the bottom very quickly?

Good luck!
-Doug




"Diane" wrote in message
om...
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di



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Old 25-06-2003, 05:20 PM
Bill R
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

Diane wrote:
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di


Di,

It may already be to late to save it. If you can, take a
look at the roots. If they are brown and you don't see any
new fine white growth the tree will likely not make it. Too
much water is likely what caused the problem.

It is best to plant trees left over from Christmas as soon
as you can work the ground.
--
Bill R.

For Pictures of my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

  #4   Report Post  
Old 25-06-2003, 06:56 PM
Diane
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

A definite 'yes' to your third point, when I water it, it seems to go
right thru and leak out the bottom. Its in a green plastic pot, the
biggest I could find, hope I can find a bigger one. (ebay of course!)
I'm wondering now, even with all that rain we had, maybe it still
wasn't getting enough water. Looks like I got some work to do, I just
hope its not too late to save it! Thanks for all this info.
di


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message net.net...
In order of likelihood:

1) Totally out of whack soil acidity: It's a plant that wants acid soil. I
can't tell you the precise pH range, but when you go to a real garden center
to buy more potting soil, a soil test kit, a bigger pot, and the right acid
plant food, they'll be able to guide you. The test kit will have a chart
inside. As for advice while you're there. There are little bags of chemicals
you can also use to adjust pH, but I've never had to use them so I don't
remember their names. Potassium kaflerpinide or something.... :-) They're
basic chemicals, not like pesticides or anything.

2) Wildly varying soil moistu Because of wind & sun, potted plants
outdoors can go from being properly moist to dangerously dry in a matter of
hours (for small pots), or a day or two for bigger pots, especially clay
pots. They're the prettiest pots, but they wick moisture away from the soil.
When you repot, get a pot that's quite a bit larger than you think you need.
Three times the size of the rootball would be right for that tree. When you
water, take a moment to thoroughly wet down the outsides of clay pots.

3) Hot pot: To varying degrees, all plants want *some* sort of specific
conditions, in terms of root temperature. If the tree is in the sun and
nothing's shading the pot, then the roots are hotter than the top of the
tree. That's unnatural for the tree you're talking about. If you repot, buy
a light-colored pot - at least as light as the normal reddish clay pots.
And, try and find a way to shade the pot from all-day sun. Maybe you could
build a simple little moveable wooden wall, like a room partition, just high
enough to shade the pot. Use wood that's similar to what your deck's made
of, and it won't look weird.

4) Rootbound - outgrowing the pot. When you water the tree, does water pour
out the bottom very quickly?

Good luck!
-Doug




"Diane" wrote in message
om...
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di

  #5   Report Post  
Old 25-06-2003, 07:20 PM
Doug Kanter
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

Ebay, for a flower pot????? That's like picking out a head of lettuce via
the internet. :-)

"Diane" wrote in message
m...
A definite 'yes' to your third point, when I water it, it seems to go
right thru and leak out the bottom. Its in a green plastic pot, the
biggest I could find, hope I can find a bigger one. (ebay of course!)
I'm wondering now, even with all that rain we had, maybe it still
wasn't getting enough water. Looks like I got some work to do, I just
hope its not too late to save it! Thanks for all this info.
di


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message

net.net...
In order of likelihood:

1) Totally out of whack soil acidity: It's a plant that wants acid soil.

I
can't tell you the precise pH range, but when you go to a real garden

center
to buy more potting soil, a soil test kit, a bigger pot, and the right

acid
plant food, they'll be able to guide you. The test kit will have a chart
inside. As for advice while you're there. There are little bags of

chemicals
you can also use to adjust pH, but I've never had to use them so I don't
remember their names. Potassium kaflerpinide or something.... :-)

They're
basic chemicals, not like pesticides or anything.

2) Wildly varying soil moistu Because of wind & sun, potted plants
outdoors can go from being properly moist to dangerously dry in a matter

of
hours (for small pots), or a day or two for bigger pots, especially clay
pots. They're the prettiest pots, but they wick moisture away from the

soil.
When you repot, get a pot that's quite a bit larger than you think you

need.
Three times the size of the rootball would be right for that tree. When

you
water, take a moment to thoroughly wet down the outsides of clay pots.

3) Hot pot: To varying degrees, all plants want *some* sort of specific
conditions, in terms of root temperature. If the tree is in the sun and
nothing's shading the pot, then the roots are hotter than the top of the
tree. That's unnatural for the tree you're talking about. If you repot,

buy
a light-colored pot - at least as light as the normal reddish clay pots.
And, try and find a way to shade the pot from all-day sun. Maybe you

could
build a simple little moveable wooden wall, like a room partition, just

high
enough to shade the pot. Use wood that's similar to what your deck's

made
of, and it won't look weird.

4) Rootbound - outgrowing the pot. When you water the tree, does water

pour
out the bottom very quickly?

Good luck!
-Doug




"Diane" wrote in message
om...
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di





  #6   Report Post  
Old 26-06-2003, 02:57 AM
Diane
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

well now I'm bummed. I repotted it, couldn't tell anything about the
roots because it was one big clump of dirt (I admit I have no green
thumb). Homer Simpson was right; I tried and I failed miserably. The
lesson: never try.

di


Bill R wrote in message ...
Diane wrote:
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di


Di,

It may already be to late to save it. If you can, take a
look at the roots. If they are brown and you don't see any
new fine white growth the tree will likely not make it. Too
much water is likely what caused the problem.

It is best to plant trees left over from Christmas as soon
as you can work the ground.

  #7   Report Post  
Old 26-06-2003, 04:32 PM
Doug Kanter
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

Assuming you gave it a bigger pot and the tree is still standing, you didn't
fail. Gardening teaches patience. And, Homer is an asshole anyway. :-)

Did you pick up the soil test kit? Even if it ends up being a wasted effort
for this particular tree, you'll have fun with it in the future.

"Diane" wrote in message
m...
well now I'm bummed. I repotted it, couldn't tell anything about the
roots because it was one big clump of dirt (I admit I have no green
thumb). Homer Simpson was right; I tried and I failed miserably. The
lesson: never try.

di


Bill R wrote in message

...
Diane wrote:
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di


Di,

It may already be to late to save it. If you can, take a
look at the roots. If they are brown and you don't see any
new fine white growth the tree will likely not make it. Too
much water is likely what caused the problem.

It is best to plant trees left over from Christmas as soon
as you can work the ground.



  #8   Report Post  
Old 27-06-2003, 03:08 AM
Diane
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Christmas tree is dying!!

I did get a bigger pot (not ceramic), and a whole bunch of stuff the
"expert" at the nursery gave me...can't believe how much i've spent on
a tree...now just have to wait and see. I wish what I tried to do
wasn't so unusual, just imagine if at xmas every tree were replanted
instead of ending up in a landfill...hey, only six more months to go.
di



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message net.net...
Assuming you gave it a bigger pot and the tree is still standing, you didn't
fail. Gardening teaches patience. And, Homer is an asshole anyway. :-)

Did you pick up the soil test kit? Even if it ends up being a wasted effort
for this particular tree, you'll have fun with it in the future.

"Diane" wrote in message
m...
well now I'm bummed. I repotted it, couldn't tell anything about the
roots because it was one big clump of dirt (I admit I have no green
thumb). Homer Simpson was right; I tried and I failed miserably. The
lesson: never try.

di


Bill R wrote in message

...
Diane wrote:
Last Xmas I bought a live tree with the roots still attached, I potted
it, enjoyed it for the holidays, then moved it out to my deck,
thinking I would either replant it in the spring, or maybe even reuse
it next Xmas. Well it was doing great until about a month ago, just
before we here in New England got all that rain (one month straight!).
It began to turn an ugly yellow-brown. The needles aren't dry or
falling off the way a dead tree would. Any ideas on what's wrong with
it and what I can do to save it? or is it dead already? and to think
I did this specifically to avoid having to throw out a perfectly good
tree after xmas!!!

di

Di,

It may already be to late to save it. If you can, take a
look at the roots. If they are brown and you don't see any
new fine white growth the tree will likely not make it. Too
much water is likely what caused the problem.

It is best to plant trees left over from Christmas as soon
as you can work the ground.

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