hard to get anywhere w/o a pic ... link below for how to ...

it is not uncommon for pine to yellow somewhat during winter .. even when they are not supposed to .... perhaps you are fixated somewhat on your babe ... and just never noticed on the big trees ...

but you seem to skip transplant shock .. before jumping to winter, as the cause ...

can you define what you mean by 'good hole' ...????

i am of the opinion that no amendments are necessary ... unless a soil test indicates something is missing from the soil.. and that includes ferts or bio mysteries .... we do not 'feed' plants that are already in shock ...

life is all in the buds.. and as long as they remain properly colored.. and hard as rocks.. you should be all set for spring.. even if it loses every single needle ... you will have problems if the buds blacken or turn mushy come spring ...

how late did you plant it????

that's as far as i can go w/o a pic ... and if it were warmer out.. i might walk out to mine... but that aint happening today ... sorry

ken

ps: as with all late season bargains.. is hard to speculate what personal hell it went thru all summer long at the nursery .... so lets just wait and see ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Shouldn't this be on the Sea Fishing Forum? ;-)

Can you post a photo?

Resin

I have two 'Big Tuna' in my collection, love mugos. This pic was taken in the fall, obviously. However now in the dead of winter with temps in the -0's the color is really unchanged, you might be in trouble.

{{gwi:633566}}

Harv, don't your specimens turn yellowish during winter? The Big Tuna's I've seen do. I recall walking 100 meters to one long ago to see what it was. Description of the original poster.

Dax

No not really, right now they're covered in snow, finally we've been so dry in South Dakota. But I was out stomping around and my 'zunbert' and 'carstens' are very yellow. And my 'mops' has a yellowish hue but the 'big tunas' are green

I really like 'Big Tuna' the color of the wood really is gorgeous on this conifer. Harv thank you for the photo.

After a recent bout of -20 F there's not much change in the color of my specimens of 'Big Tuna'.

Terrance

I'll bet that the Big Tuna (at least one) I walked to years ago was showing a funk-yellow due to the saturation of water in the ground. I remember the puddles amongst the snow.

Dax

the temps finally broke ... and i walked out there this morning ...

from recollection i seem to recall a good deep green mugo .... in summer

today ... slightly yellowish.. with yellow tips ... NORMAL WINTER COLORATION for me in MI ... on just about all pines

if you could post a pic of yours.. i could compare ....

regardless.. only time will tell.. i do NOT recommend treating it with anything in winter.. on a recent transplant...

ken

ps: i wonder if beige will ever come back ...

I'm back! Thanks for the advice I feel a little more comfortable with my BT. Buds are hard and of the right color. Sorry about the lack of pictures I do not have the know how to do that, I am ashamed to say. Harv your BT is lovely. I dug a deep and wide hole and only ammended it with a bit of sharp sand to help with drainage. I know it is a risk buying end of the season deals but I got it from a good nursery that take excellent care of their plants. It was marked down from $300 to $100 and I got it for $60! Still a lot of money so I hope it makes it. Thanks for the link Ken I will try to figure out how to post pictures; I love all the pictures you post.

You know Beigestonehill don't feel bad about not knowing how to post pictures on the site. I was a creeper on the site for a year or more for the same reason. I finally had a young nephew of mine figure out and show me how. I belong to other hobby sites that posting is less complicated. I'd explain but don't how to make it clear, maybe some one with more technical knowledge could. I'm postitive there are others with the same question. It involves down loading pictures to photobucket and the moving them to this site, at leaset that's how I have to do it

Pic posting at the link.

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Pix

why did you add sand to the hole..

if you have bad clay.. there are better ways to plant.. including planting only about half the root mass in the clay.. and building a bern using a better soil above ....

since it was just planted.. you might want to correct this

many trees can handle the clay.. given enough time to put its roots where it wants them ... but digging a cauldron in heavy clay, even with the addition of sand.. MIGHT create a caldron with little of no true drainage ... and most conifers do not like sodden roots ...

more facts if you want to figure this out ....

ken

yes please Ken more facts about planting conifers, explain this bern idea further if you will. I have had very good luck with most of my conifers except Pines which I have lost several. I added sand just to help the drainage along and I planted the pine a bit high which I have found makes most of my conifers happy. I certainly did not leave half the root ball out of the ground but I would love to. What do you suggest for a better soil for the bern? Harv thanks for your kind words someday I will sit down and figure the picture thing out; maybe I should get my teenaged girls to do it for me

The water from the surrounding clay seeps into the area where you have the sand. During drought the clay will suck the moisture out of the sand. Never amend soil unless you plan to add organic matter for smaller plants. Tooling around with different soil textures is a disaster recipe for the poor plant planted in the concoction.

most conifers want a drink.. and then full drainage ...

digging a hole in clay that does not drain fast enough ... and putting a tree in it.. that cant stand too much water.. leads to death... simply too much moisture... adding sand to the cauldron does not help ...

roots need air ... as much.. if not more than water ... especially in trees [and conifers are just a special branch of trees] ...

so.. if you plant high.. you give the roots above the time.. to get established ... and as it does that.. it can puts its roots into the clay .. and go from there ..

its all about giving it enough time.. a couple years.. to learn how to cope with the soil.. before it get drowned ...

i will see if i can get brandon to pop in from the tree forum.. he usually has some links ...

make any sense????

ken

"Adding sand to clay soil, in any amount, has been proven by the University of California Agricultural Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be about the worst thing anyone can do for their garden soil."

"Adding sand to clay makes concrete."

"Manufacturing plants add sand to a mixture of clay and other materials for manufacturing bricks."

Not my words and I don't mean to be negative. Just thought you'd want to know.

hey maple ...

trees can grow in mountain scree.. which can be the equivalent of large course bricks ...

and you know why .. because it has superb drainage.. lol ...

she was right to want to fix drainage .. and sand or pebbles will do that ..

but not in a clay cauldron ...

in my mineral sand.. if i dig a hole the size of a 5 gal bucket.. and fill it with water.. that water will be gone w/in a minute .. that is drainage ...

in bad clay.. it may be hours.. or days ...

it is called a perk test.. and you should learn your soil.. by testing such ... if it doesnt drain.. raise the new tree out of it .. and let it grow into it .. it will not mind the clay.. IF IT LIVES LONG ENOUGH TO GROW INTO IT ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: some nice pix ...

beigestonehill, how would you characterize your native soil?

Interesting idea, Ken. Maybe at my next repot I'll try growing in brick dust ;^)

Or maybe I'd be better off sticking to the gritty mix.

Here's a planting guide that you may find helpful....

Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a Tree or Shrub

Ken says your name and you somehow magically appear?

I do not have clay except in pockets. I live on a hill; geologically I would love to know what happened. I have one large garden on top of my hill at one end of that garden we hauled out rocks the size of a small cows at the other end the rocks are the size of baseball and there are tons of them, the rocks are sandstone( I think) hence the name of our proprty. The soil around the rocks was a dead subsoil that I have spent 14 years ammending and now the soil is full of organic matter and life. I have several conifers in that bed and that is where the Big Tuna is. I have planted all of them high but not with 50% of their root ball out of the ground, please tell me more about that method Ken. I will follow brandons link too. Ninety percent of my conifers were small plants when I put them in the ground my belief is that small plants will acclimate quicker than large plants plus they are cheaper. Knock on wood I have not lost many conifers except Pines. Maybe the sand is not necessary and I will not continue the practice, I do not think I am creating a cauldron. Ken I am willing to dig my BT up in the spring if you think it would help it along. Though I have used some conifers in my work they have only recently become my obsession on my own property, I have so much to learn and that is what excites me. I feel very fortunate to have all of you experts as my guides into this wondeful world of conifers. Thanks again for your input. Lynn

I read the link Brannon passed on ;thank you again B. I pretty much plant my trees and shrubs the way they descibe in the article. I leave about 20% of the root ball out of the ground. I love the idea of leaving out more, less work for me. With that said would you all suggest I dig up the Big Tuna and plant it higher? I really really want this plant to survive.

Sounds like you've provided a favorable spot for it to flourish, so the dice have been rolled and now it's up to the plant.

To Ken's point about the importance of buds, it sounds like you're in good shape there.

Good luck with the Big Tuna!