Arborvitae help! Identify...and more

9 years ago

Hi there!

I'm a newbie and I planted two of these last year. They were missing tags at the local nursery, and the rep told me they would be about 6-8 feet tall. They were the last two, I loved the color, so I bought them. Does anyone have specifics on this? I'm just worried they need more room than where I planted them, so it would be nice to have details.

Second, I'm having some problems with one of them. It's giving some crispiness on the ends-could it be just a hard winter (we did have a cold winter this past yr)?

Third, what can I fertilize with to help it along? I'm a newbie, so I just have to ask-is the beautiful yellow green branches a bad sign? That's how I bought them last year and I loved the colors...but maybe the newbie that I am, I bought sick ones? They feel healthy, and are very bright.

TIA!
J

Comments (4)

hortster
9 years ago
Not 100% sure, but compare to 'Yellow Ribbon' arborvitae. If you just planted last fall don't fertilize until next spring, and if they have reasonable growth between now and then, don't fertilize them then.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
try the conifer forum ...

its more yellow that my yellow ribbons... there are about at least 6 versions of which it could be ...

winter damage probably due to not being fully established from the transplant ...

conifers are trees.. and IMHO... they never need to be fed .. and i grow about 600 conifers on sand ...

looking at it.. i see at least 6 to 12 inches of growth last year [no scale].. look how the bark changes color.. and you can find the last 3 years growth ... [last pic.. at 6 oclock... there is grey bark.. that above it is tan ... that is all last years growth ... and this years will come green until later in fall when it tans.. etc] .

frankly.. its about 4 to 6 feet too close to the house ... and i would bet.. the brick on a sunny day in winter.. did not help the whole equation.. with retained heat.. followed by a blistering cold night ... regardless... i have a dozen or so.. that look a lot worse than this.. and i am not worried about them .... once they get growing... it will all disappear ...

so.. anyways... if it grows... once established.. at one foot per year.. then in 10years... it will be 10 feet tall .. no way, you say.. lol .. yeah.. i do.. and then in 20 years.. it will be 20 feet tall ... proper siting is all about recognizing the annual growth rate.. and planning for how long you want it .... ALL SIZE ESTIMATES ON CONIFERS ARE AT 10 YEARS ... and they will not slow down in your lifetime.. for the most part ....

ken

ps: mine arent growing yet.. but i think the yellowest is holmsptrop ... see link .. but do check with the coneheads...

Here is a link that might be useful: link
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jaybea20
Original Author
9 years ago
Ken-

Let's say I leave it there, for laziness reasons-but mostly because I like it's location in relation to other plants and the house. I don't mind if it gets 6-8 feet, but how wide will this get? And can I just keep it trimmed annually or will that kill it?

Mine really does look similar to the Yellow Ribbons google images pulled up.

And wow-thanks for the quick lesson on identifying the growth on it, that is amazing.

Thanks
J
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
i gave you a link to pix ... and those are a common form ...

when 6 foot tall.. it could be 3 to 4 feet wide ...

but we are still searching for a particular cultivar name .;... to perfect the annual growth information ... to find out if its some dwarf version.. with a lesser annual growth

and that MIGHT be had in the conifer forum ..

its your plant.. leave it anywhere your heart desires ... i have no vested interest in what you do with it ... i just give info.. so we dont see you back here in 3 to 5 years.. wailing what to do with it ..

good luck with it ...

ken