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swimin07

Golden Cedars dying all around me!

swimin07
15 years ago

I planted 2 Golden Cedar hedges, of 9 plants, on each side of my backyard last year. They are along the fences, and in a drainage swale. 9 of them are dead so far and a few more are starting to fade.

I followed the nursery's directions. Planted in triple mix and existing soil (clay), not too deep, watered well, used Quick Start fertilizer. But now they are mostly dead. I had a lot of difficulty loosening the root balls. I did loosen the root balls as best I could, but they were extremely tight and I did not want to break the roots, so that might have been a mistake. (maybe the trees were too big for the pots?)

These trees were 8' tall when I got them and were quite expensive...I wanted a top quality hedge, and now I have a huge headache.

I wonder if anyone can help me, or share their expertise.

Is the drainage swale a problem? Too wet?

Comments (9)

  • bonniepunch
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's unlikely that your remaining plants can be saved, unfortunately. Whatever has killed off the dead ones will likely do in the rest, particularly since you said they're showing signs of illness/stress. I can see a couple of problems that would certainly have contributed to their decline - they may not be what killed them, but they wouldn't have helped the cedars establish well.

    The first problem comes from how you planted them. Traditionally, when planting a tree or shrub, the recommended advice has been to amend the soil in the planting hole with compost, triple mix, or other good quality soil. This creates a small area of nice lose soil inside a larger area od hard compact, unamended soil. Basically a bathtub. Water will collect in this more porous area. The roots will grow well at first, hit the edge of the amended area and turn around to grow around and around - just like in a pot. Cedars are known for tolerating wet or damp growing conditions, but in a drainage swale, their planting hole/bathtub could have filled up with water and they would have drowned. The advice for planting is now shifting towards filling in the planting hole with only what you removed from it. This way the roots are encouraged to spread and the plant is ultimately healthier. Adding a layer of compost on the top when you plant it and on a yearly basis will help to improve the soil over time. Many nurseries are still recommending the older method, but that is not good advice for anyone with hard clay soil.

    You also left the rootball pretty well intact. Unless the plant has particularly fragile roots or is taprooted, mussing with the roots is a good idea. Breaking or damaging a few stimulates new growth. When it is really tight like you described, it's a good idea to soak the rootball overnight (a kiddie pool or a trash can works).

    This is less important, but I would not recommend fertilizing a newly planted shrub for at least a month or two - I'd wait until you saw signs of new growth. They need to be watered well, but until the roots start to grow they won't be capeable of taking up much fertilizer and you run a risk of burning the plant.

    Other things might have been a factor, but may have been beyond your control.

    Many garden centres do not take particularly good care of their plants once they get them in from their supplier - they will all swear that they take great care of them, but you'll need to ask how long they have had the particular ones you're interested in. If it's more than a couple of weeks and you have not had much rain - I'd recommend you skip those plants. If the rootball dried out the plant could have already been badly stressed but still looked fine - cedars take awhile for the damage to become apparent.

    It's not always a good idea to buy large plants. If the plants have been stressed by the removal of too much of the root system when dug up from their growing area, or by being in a tiny pot for a long time, the roots might not be up to the task of supporting the above ground portion of the plant. I know the desire to have that instant hedge is strong, especially when there is some unsightly view you want gone *now*, but unless you are sure the plants are in great shape, you might want to buy smaller plants that can adapt to your yard better. Where did you get them? A good, reputable, dedicated nursery is more likely to have large plants in good condition, but a place like Walmart's or Canadian Tire's garden centre is not ideal.

    And what was your winter like? Really cold can be hard on newly planted trees and shrubs. Lots of snow? In that drainage swale, they might have drowned no matter how well you planted them. Did you wrap them? Lots of people don't wrap established and sheltered cedars, but it's a good idea to wrap a cedar for it's first winter.

    BP

  • ianna
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They drowned. It's a simple as that. Don't plant your trees in a ditch, most especially one that is used to drain water. Although they needed to be moist for it's first season, you also need to ensure they receive good drainage. Everything else you did is according to proper procedures for soil amendment. Unfortunately, it was the wrong place to have planted the trees. I had a good sized cedar which died due to drowning simply because a neighbor's drain pipe directed water to this area in my yard. I've since remedied the problem by raising the soil a bit in that area, created drainage that steered water away from the area.

    As to the rootball issue, it wasn't the reason the plants died. It would have simply caused a stunted growth but not kill it in this way. In anycase, if you find it difficult to unbound root balls, simply use a knife and cut lightly on the surface of the rootball, then use a fork to scrape the roots loose. That's all you need to do.

  • greenstar
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This may not pertain to your situation but 'in general' always research a particular bush, shrub, etc. if you are using them as a hedge. It's not good enough to know that they grow in your area but one should pick a plant that is extremely reliable. 90% success isn't good enough if your hedge develops a gap like a missing tooth...and with conifers it's difficult to find a replacement plant a year or two later that matches size and exact colour.

    http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/gardenbuzz/default.aspx

  • swimin07
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bonniepunch....thanks for your very detailed reply and advice. I am in Georgetown, Ont. Our winter was very cold.

    I got the cedars from Terra Greenhouses, great people and great store, but I think the plants were not taken care of properly, they were delivered on their sides with a lot soil missing and quite dry. Also, the soil they were in was very soft, black and fertile. Very unlike my clay. So yes...your points about soil amendment are acknowledged and accurate.

    I returned 8 dead ones today and bought 8 new ones from Sheridan nurseries. They came in burlap and the soil is the same as mine....heavy clay. So now with your input, I feel a whole lot more confident planting these. I will not amend with triple mix. Just a little bone meal mixed with the same soil. Loosen the roots and hope for better results.

    Thanks!!!

  • swimin07
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ianna...thanks for your reply and advice regarding the rootballs.
    I will head your advice and raise the level of the swale ( not sure if the neighbour will mind).

    I did water the heck out of these things....so perhaps I contributed to their drowning. I will go lighter on the water this time around, and hopefully the clay these ones came packed in, will prevent the 'bathtub' effect.

    Many thanks!

  • swimin07
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks for the link and advice. I did research quite a bit before going with the emerald cedars.

    I'd be very HAPPY with a 90% success rate....fwiw... :-)

  • swimin07
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Its been driven into my head, throughout my life, that cedars love water.

    That belief contradicts some expertise offered here. Or perhaps that theory doesn't apply to Emerald Cedars? Perhaps the moon isn't made of cheese?

  • bonniepunch
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think you will have to chalk it up to a misunderstanding of what 'cedars love water' really means. All plants love water to the extant that they need it to survive. How much water any given plant can tolerate differs greatly though. Very few plants can tolerate any amount of water around their roots for any real amount of time. Even plants that like or require damp conditions still require standing water to drain away.

    If you're in Ontario, you will have had the huge snowfall from this past winter melting into your drainage swale and that alone could have done them in (I thought it might have been possible your plants didn't drown if you lived in an area without a lot of rain or snow).

    Almost every 'easy to grow' plant I have ever lost has been due to improper drainage - all it takes is a few hours of standing water for some plants to drown. Even my moisture lovers like hostas and ferns need drainage. My pond plants even need to have water circulating through their roots - stagnant water will 'drown' them.

    I would not recommend raising the level of the swale (that's quite different that what ianna did). Legally you may not be permitted to do so, and you may also alter the drainage of both your and your neighbour's properties. It's likely your yard was graded in such a way so as to channel the runoff into the swale. You would have to raise it to above the level of your yard to eliminate it's tendency to collect water, and this would cause the water to flow somewhere else - this could cause water damage to foundations and other existing plants for which you could be held liable (very $$$$).

    Plant your new cedars to one side of your drainage swale, or if it is deep enough, on the slope (you'll need to stake them though). Sometimes it's hard to work within the constraints of a yard, amd you'll need to change your plans from what you initially wanted, but it's best in the long run to work with what you have rather than forcing the landscape into something it doesn't like.

    BP

  • ianna
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wouldn't advise changing your swale. It's there to help drain water from the surroundings. If you block off the water, it will certainly cause flooding in another area. It could violate certain by-laws by doing so. Even planting in a swale could be deemed a violation because it should be clear of blockage. You can only alter a swale to improve it.

    Plant your trees in areas that drain easily. That's the point.

    As for cedars and water. The only cedar I'm aware of that can live in swampy conditons are those that live in the Louisianna swamps. I have yet to see cedars that thive in watery conditions here in Ontario. In fact, the cedars I've seen live remarkably well in very dry conditions - long hillsides and rocky terrains.

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