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lcadem

picea omorika browning - lack of water?

lcadem
10 years ago

Dear all

I know this is probably trivial but I just want to make sure.
I have a windbreak of picea omorikas on both the north and south side of a 3 acre lot. A total of about 70 plants.
The plants were planted last fall as containerized 2 footers.

The plants suffered quite a bit the winter with a lot of browning. But they come back pretty strong this spring (with the expection of 2 which kicked the dust).

Nonetheless, in the past two weeks, some of them have started turning orange at some of the tips (see the picture). It is not happening throughout the plant but only at a few tips here and there and not on every plant. The needles are falling off.

Is this just a trivial water issue?

Some more relevant information: The trees are planted very close to a row of declining mature poplars which are probably draining a lot of water. Each of the omorikas have been watered so far by ~6 gallons of water every week through a dripline system.

Comments (8)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    no conifer holds its needles forever ...

    interior browning and needle loss is normal ...

    and increased by transplant.. heat.. drought.. etc ...

    cant see the whole plant.. but that looks like last years needles ... yes????

    ergo... interior.. ergo normal ...

    nothing to see here.. please step away .. lol ...

    favor us with a pic of the whole.. just to be sure...

    ken

  • lcadem
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I am sorry Ken I did not specify. What is browning is THIS SPRING's growth...

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    thats not what your pic shows...

    this springs growth has green branch color.. just like the needles..

    last years branch has browned.. like it is supposed to... and last years needles are what has been sacrificed ...

    or i just dont understand your picture at all ...

    OK .. i looked again.. i see two dead pieces of this years.. and a lot of PERFECT this year growth ...

    i would suggest that was planting or shipping damage.. but the vast majority looks fine ...

    can we rule out male dog????

    maybe a few more pics??? of the plant as a whole... etc ...

    i had one pine.. lose every single needles for two winters running.. and flush in spring.. and 8 years later.. its sublime.. new transplants do weird things ... and when yoru plants are 8 feet tall.. those few dead buds.. wont mean much ...

    insure proper watering.. and pray .. lol .. and a few more pix ...

    ken

  • lcadem
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes, it is new year growth. In many spots, the growth has not even started hardening off yet. It has just finished the elongation phase.
    What you see browning is only the new year's growth.
    I have a male dog but he is not doing its thing on these trees.

    I am just worried that this will signal that the plants are dying or something.

    I have checked the rootball with my finger and it feels moist but not wet, and this only one day after watering, after two inches of mulch

  • maple_grove_gw
    10 years ago

    Not uncommon on newly planted trees. It looks like the roots are not developed enough to fully serve the needs of the new growth. Given stressful conditions such as very warm, dry and/or windy, the new growth will call for more water than the roots can supply. Not all shoots will get served, and those that don't, well now you've seen what happens. As long as it's a few isolated spots this won't be a problem in the long run.

    Make sure they get adequate water especially on those warm, dry, windy days. Don't overwater though. Once the new growth hardens off this will be less of a problem. They grow should better roots systems this year and I expect this won't be a problem next year, provided you've got decent drainage and you don't overwater.

    Oh, they weren't recently sprayed with anything were they? If yes, that would change my answer completely...

    Alex

  • maple_grove_gw
    10 years ago

    Also, it would be better to provide water as needed rather than according to formula.

    The problem with providing X gallons per week is that, if the soil stays too wet it will be harder for the roots to put on the growth you need to prevent these issues next year.

    Think adequate water, targeted to those times it's needed. Not ample abundance of water at all times, not soggy soil. I hope that makes sense.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    yes.. better pic ...

    what maple said.. and again i point out all the new growth on your hand ...

    i understand the few brown spots bug you.. but if there was a serious problem.. you wouldnt have all that lush green growth around that one dead bud

    ken

  • lcadem
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Maple and Ken!

    Maple: yes, I am always double checking to make sure that the soil isn't soggy. So far I have been having good drainage, and the soil is, at most moist (feels like wet powder, not like goo).
    Your interpretation is also what I was suspecting. The roots are probably just unable to provide all the water necessary to maintain the new growth that was spurred by the wet spring we had.

    Ken: Thanks so much, that really is what I wanted to hear :-)

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