My Colorado was turning brown.

Discussion in 'Gymnosperms (incl. Conifers)' started by Chaz, Jul 2, 2006.

  1. Chaz

    Chaz Member

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    Valdez, Alaska 99686
    My Clorado Blue Spruce is only about 9 feet tall but last summer it was looking realy, realy bad. Come mid July I was very worried and pondered on what I may have done wrong: "Was it root bound? Did I forget to cut the cloth when planted? Why had it looked OK for several year's and now this slow turning of color that indicated serious trouble?" It never has been the blue it's suppose to be; frankly it looks more like a local prickly Sitka spruce-but (normaly) slightly more green. I bought it at Home Depot at about 24 inches. It never has developed into the picture.

    I had given it, at least once every year, a good solution of liguid fertilizer, carefully sprayed and watered it, talked to it and even caressed it's branches--then this (death looking) browning developed and I couldn't find anywhere on the net a similar problem. I do care about a tree, especialy when you've tried planting them with care; but, I've fixed it and here's how. It was my last resort, my last option and I am not an expert by any mean's.

    I took my pruining shear's and started cutting every dead looking branch, side branch and main trunk sucker. Everyone of them! I carefully grasp the limbs and ran my hand outward to remove any dead needles. And lastly (although they looked healthy) I removed several lower to (almost touching) the ground branches as well.

    Standing back, after this, and looking at my grooming (basicaly), it did looked very open; but it also just looked better. Then the miracle happened! In what seemed like only day's-it began to turn slightly greener and the top shot up. But, most significantly seen, was what it did this spring-it budded on the branch end's every where, every branch and turned a wonderfull greener color, filled-in in-between branches up higher and shows that it's much, much happier. It needed a hair cut, I guess.

    Not unlike an emmergency room atmosphere I suppose-where multiple things are done if a problem can't be identified, the only other thing I tried at the same time was to encircle the tree with some boxed fertilizer I hadn't used (for Roses). That didn't hurt but I honestly believe my visual attention to it's slow physical change, respect to trying to salvage it by patiently removing each and every tiny dead looking branch or stem or sucker, was what it needed most. And finding relative story examples like what I successfully had happen, seem far between. It feels good when something work's and I wanted to share my story. Hopefully it will help many other's.
    Chaz
     
  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    It shouldn't need any fertiliser - spruces do well in poor soil conditions (no-one ever fertilises your local Sitkas!), it is even possible that the damage was caused by excess fertiliser.

    More likely though to be a climate-caused problem; your maritime subarctic climate is very different to Colorado's continental climate, you get much cooler summers, and slightly warmer winters. Colorado Spruce wants more summer heat than you can give it, and that can mean that the foliage does not mature well enough to withstand early frosts. Was summer 2004 particularly cool?
     
  3. Chaz

    Chaz Member

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    Hi Michael-
    Paricularly cooler in 2004? Can't honestly remember, may have been, just before our inundation of snow. Averages are around 300 inches a year-4 feet at any particular time until April brings the melt. So, it would have been mostly insulated from the wind/chill. And between november and January it can blow cold with no snow. But, that may very well have been what happened, though. Huh! It got frost burn--maybe?
    The liquid ferilizing has usualy only been once a year-this subdivisions soil is terrible--acidic, rocky, sand, clay down beneath, poor drainage and bum digging with a #2. One needs a pick. I positioned it in the middle of my yard with all the sun exposure it can get and now it's doing super after that grooming. I also just read on this site about those little trunk branches I trimed (not sure what they're called) probably won't ever come back. I don't care because it's turned around, showing great health, much more color and filling in well up high. The tops grown 9 inches since May. Roughly 60 day's.
    Thanks Michael
     

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