It's time to read and vote for your favorite article in the 2013 Write-Off Contest! The four finalist's articles are featured in the May 13 newsletter and can be found through this link. Hurry! Voting ends May 18.
Welcome!
You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
I have a lot to show everyone for your help to get through the first couple of months with my beautiful new trees.I am having a couple of problems with them and I have already lost 2. These here are Spruce (I believe) and on one side of the tree they look completely healthy then on the other side they look like this. Whats up? Bugs Watering? I have no clue. Help. Thanks I will answer any questions with no problem.
With all the hot weather going on across the country this year, it's probably a tough year for things that were planted and didn't have much (if any) time to get settled before hot weather hit--sounds like yours were planted fairly recently so I would guess that they had hot weather hit them too soon after planting. Unfortunately in that sort of situation, even if you do everything right things sometimes still won't make it, and the hotter it is and the less time they've had to get established before hot weather the worse your odds are. It's definitely worth checking your watering (try the finger test--stick your finger down a few inches and see how wet it feels--if it's bone dry then you are probably underwatering, but if it's still really wet then you need to back off). If you're watering appropriately and your weather is hot, it might help if you could rig up some shade to protect them a little bit from the sun, that may lessen the stress they're under and help them pull through until cooler weather in the fall. (as a side note--is it the side that's getting more sun that looks worse?)
Yes it is the side that gets the most sun that looks the worse. All the information you have shared with me really helps. I really have not thought about that. I just could not pass up the opportunity to get my beloved trees. But the timing could not have been worse both for me (it was sooo hot planting them) and the trees. Thank you so much. I will figure out some way to get some shade on them. The Oklahoma sun is hot hot hot.
I also have the problem that I can't resist buying things during the summer, but I learned years ago that I have much better luck if I keep them in pots in an area that gets afternoon shade through the summer and then plant them in the fall when things cool off (actually I usually wait until closer to winter because our winters aren't that cold and that's when we get all our rain, but for you fall would be better)
Hopefully if you can rig up some shade to protect them from sun during the hottest part of the day and make sure you're watering properly they may pull through, but in my experience sometimes once things go too far downhill it can be too late to turn them around. It's hard to predict in advance though what will pull through and what won't so I'd definitely keep up your efforts.
Believe me I am trying my hardest to keep their heads above water. It is a challenge though. Right now to check if they need water I use a bamboo stick and push it in the ground a ways then pull it out and check how damp the stick is. Is that the best way to check? Thanks again for all your help. I wish I would have known to pot them until then. Do you think it is to late to do that now?
Yes, the bamboo stick is a good way to check for moisture. As far as potting them now--digging them up again and potting them will add some more stress which wouldn't be great for them either, so if there's a way you can rig up a little shade for them and keep them where they are that's what I'd probably do instead.
