skip to main content

Picea Abies - winter damage?

11 years ago

Hello everyone,

I planted this picea abies last October and watered it through late november till the ground froze. It is in a pretty open area so was subject to all this winter's wind and sun.

This spring it has some brown needles and a few black ends on some of the branches (are these buds?)

I just wanted to get your thoughts on the tree. Maybe this is normal? What is the likely cause and will it have an impact on the tree? If it's prospects aren't good I may just replace it.

Thanks!

Comment (1)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
looks pretty normal for a recent transplant and winter damage ...

brown or tan buds are good.. black ones are not.. but i have only your words on that ...

a few weeks from now.. it will bud out.. and that is when we will know... and if it does.. most of the damage will disappear ... [well the new growth will make you quit focusing on the damage]

life is in the buds..

i have a lot worse in my garden.. on much older plants.. its not much i would worry about.. if the buds look healthy.. and you would need to get us a pic of some of those ... if you cant wait the few weeks..

ken

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Picea Abies ‘Nidiformis’

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Bird’s nest spruce pulls its weight in the winter garden by providing structure and interest

WINTER GARDENING 8 Gorgeous Trees for Winter Interest in the Garden

By Matt Kilburn

Intriguing forms and beautiful branches take center stage when color heads back into the wings of the winter landscape

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Skylands Oriental Spruce, a Favorite Conifer

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Brighten up a drab corner of your garden with Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’, a smaller spruce that a bird family might just call home

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Warm Up Your Home With an Evergreen Windbreak

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Plant tall trees for more warmth in winter, serenity in summer and good looks all year long

WINTER GARDENING Pruning Secrets for Exquisite Roses

By Annie Thornton

Encourage gorgeous blooms year after year with this time-tested advice on how to prune your rosebush in winter for health and shape

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Breezy and Bug-Free Modern Porches

Screening keeps pests out of these diverse porches across the U.S., while thoughtful designs keep them visually appealing

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Retreat to the Shade of Hardy Catalpa

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Big foliage and a towering height provide a shady respite in summer, but that's not all hardy catalpa offers dedicated gardeners

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Structural Plants to Frame Your Garden Beautifully

By CYAN Horticulture

Consider these trees and shrubs live building blocks, providing structure and definition in even a small garden

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Larix Decidua ‘Pendula’

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Soft, graceful and sculptural, weeping larch is a star in northern U.S. gardens

PLANTING IDEAS Designing With Conifers: Layers of Texture for Your Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Sharp and prickly or fine like ferns, richly textured conifers bring unexpected interest to the landscape

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

More Discussions

Doing Soil Tests on Soil-Less Container Media

14

Eastern hemlock MD champ

6

Loblolly pine in wet soil?

3

Plum yew 'Harrington' & Canaan firs

5

How to Make Topsoil

18