My Blue Spruce

tactile2

Hi there..we have 2 blue spruce and one norway spruce, all rather large (over 15 feet) that were transplanted 3 years ago...The Norway had a hard go but seemed to be bouncing back last summer.....I was in the yard today checking things out and noticed that the needles on all three trees seemed yellow...with only a tinge of green...is that normal over the winter months? And I mean all the needles, from close to the trunk to the tips. I am is Oshawa, Ontario...just east of Toronto..... The temp has been up and down lately as spring approaches....between -10 and +8. Could this have an effect? Any help would be appreciated!

We also have 2 Balsam Firs whose colour, although more dull, has retained a dark green colour.

All the best!

Kevin

ArbTrain

not really familiar with your species or your part of th world but yellowing is usually a nutrient deficiency.. all the best

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tactile2

hi there... so not much I can do until the "great thaw".....?? Still snow on the ground.

Alex Metzler

Could be a deficiency, could be pest or pathogen, need pics to help

tactile2

I will try and take pics...can't find my darn camera....where'd I put it??

Brent Ferris

Pics would help a lot. Certainly our winter thaws and lack of snow cover may have created some wind damage and possibly frost damage.

Try to show closeups of the foliage, the whole tree and the site, and which way is North (prevailing wind from the NW), and if the trees are exposed to strong winds. Additionally, the trees were transplanted 3 years ago - by tree spade? What kind of soil were the trees growing in, and what kind of soil do you have?

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tactile2

hi Brent....

I see you are local...perhaps if you are ever in Oshawa, you could drop by and and have a look...perhaps a prune?? As none of my trees have been pruned since they were planted....LMK

The trees in quesion were spaded from a farm in Bowmanville....very rich GOOD soil....and transplanted into my yard...subdivision...lots of clay.

My yard is fenced, but is large, so wind damage is possible.....northeast backyard....pics have been taken...will submit by tomorrow...

I have a couple of balsam firs that have thrived in the same yard..they were planted almost 4 years ago..the base branches of one of them is skmpy now in terms of needle coverage...Would burlapping over the winter months have helped this?

Thanks and please check back!

Brent Ferris

While the spruce likely did very well where they were in well drained soil, they have been dumped into hard clay, and the effect is like a bathtub -- the water goes in, but is absorbed very slowly. If enough rain falls in a relatively short space of time - similar to the weather we have experienced lately - the roots get starved for oxygen, and the roots drown, the tree dies.

However, Trees are pretty hardy, the yellow tips may only be the first sign.

What would be crucial in your case would be how deep is the ground frozen?

If you had a lot of snow cover, insulating the ground (preventing a deep freeze), with the fast snow melt, the heavy rain may have filled up the pores in the soil. Conifers tend to grow when the ambient temperature is warm enough. This can lead to serious problems if the buds are opening (warm days) and the roots are still in frozen ground. BUt, warm days, and soft saturated soil creates a similar problem. In the first case, the top dries out (no water available); in the 2nd case, the roots are drowning, and the top gets no water because the roots are in trouble.

Can it be fixed? maybe. The best solution (in the future) is to buy trees that are growing in soil as close as identical to the soil you have IE sand to sand, clay to clay, loam to loam.

The best solution would be to have your provider replace the trees, but 3 years later you are probably out of warranty.

I think you will need to create channels from the spaded soil out into the clay to ameliorate the effect. Another option might be to have the spade lift the trees up so the root zone is higher and amend the top 12 inches of "topsoil" well out from the tree with well draining soil (giving the water somewhere to drain to). Most roots are in the top 6 to 12 inches, and this is one time where planting "high" might very well be beneficial for the trees.

I would like to see if any other members have any ideas how to counteract the bathtub effect.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

tactile2

Hi Brent:
Great info...when the trees were initially transplanted, the root ball was higher than the ground....in three years, the trees has "settled"...as for the bathtub effect....when you see the pic of my yard... you will noticed that the trees are planted on "high ground"...on the raised area of my yard....I always felt that it was hard to water the trees in the warmer months because the water would travel away from the trees....but in the colder months....who know?? I think the up and down temps are really causing problems...I will try to post those pics....

Thanks again!

Kevin

tactile2

Finally Some Pics....Thanks for your input thus far friends!

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Eric Frei

Back to basics I say.

Soil pH test.

Apparently it could be seasonal yellowing prior to spring burst, March seems to be the most vulnerable month.

Also nutritional deficiencies is likely as the nice soil which came with the transplant is being depleted of it's nutrients.

Fertilize with an organic blend that has trace elements added but a decent soil test would help, also mulching including vertical mulching would help.

I usually pull soil cores, that gives decent evidence, pull cores from root-ball and surrounding soil.



Judging by the pics I doubt flooded hole (bathtub effect). Cores can be moisture tested.

Improve the soil conditions and the trees will do what they know best .... try to survive.

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tactile2

Thats great!! Thanks! Can you recommend a good fertilizer mix for evergreens? I have been deep feeding them twice a year with the ROSS ROOTFEEDER...and using the Evergreen tablets (10-20-20) as per the package instructions....seemed to do a nice job last year..BUT is there something better???

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Brent Ferris

I find liquid seaweed works pretty well.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)