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Drooping Arbor Vitaes

GreenfingerGene

11 years ago

I planted a row of $7 arbor vitaes two years ago and they had been doing really well until the heavy snow storm we had in NC in January and they all drooped. I thought they were going to recover but every rain just sends them sideways again.
Any advice as to what to do with them at this point?

{{!gwi}}

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
you can see all the trunks.. yes ...

had you asked back then.. and if you could have found them at that price.. we would have suggested single leader plants ... which would not be prone to this .. but that is water under the bridge ...

get some twine.. that will eventually rot.. not nylon or plastic stuff ... like at the link.. half miles worth.. lol ...

spread your arm apart.. and double or triple it.. making a nice 3 foot piece .... and go tie the trunks together.. twice or so.. 2 feet apart [you didnt tell us how big, so i am guessing on how many] .... no need to do it tightly.. we are just using the whole.. to add structure ... and it should be put back near its usual shape...

and then... hope for the best ...

the KEY is that .. should you forget to release them from their bondage for a decade or two.. the stuff will rot away ...

the only real problem.. would be another severe ice/snow or whatever storm.. as they may now have the potential to break.. instead of bending ... and then your problem will be solved.. because you will get rid of them ....

this might also be another argument for planting a monoculture .... so if it ever comes to replacing some.. think about other types of plants ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: you didnt say how many hundred you planted .. lol ..
GreenfingerGene
Original Author
11 years ago
OK, I will get the twine. Will that make them grow skinny? I was hoping they would be fat and form a hedge.

Currently, they are about 3' tall. If I do nothing would the branches simply continue to grow out in different directions...and would that be unhealthy for the plants?
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Arborvitaes needs lots and lots of water, especially when they're newly planted. Some mulch wouldn't have hurt either. One is dead, one is very sick, one might be salvageable. But I have to wonder if you know just how big a Green Giant is supposed to get, because that entire bed is too small for even ONE of them, with nothing else planted in it. They can go 12-20 ft. spread and 50-60 ft. tall. That's why they're called "Green Giant". Emerald Green Arborvitae might have been a better choice, and DeGroot's Spire even better than that.
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Greenefinger, Have you ever heard people on these forums say buy a conifer with a single leader? Well, that's why. If they don't have a single leader, trunk, they can split like that in snow, sometimes they actually split and side branches fall off. I don't know what to tell you to do. I have one that has multiple leaders, but we dont' get snow here, so I am going to see if mine does that or not/ Post this on the conifer fourm, they will know what to do, short of digging them up, I hope you don't have to. Are they in the front of your home? Can people see that from the street? Sorry about that. At least they wern't expensive.
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I'd be highly skeptical that this a disease or pest issue......arborvitaes are just not overly susceptible to either. Unless one considered root rots a disease. But based on the conditions described - located in a hot, dry climate, been in a container for several seasons and watered more or less according to a schedule - it would be difficult to consider the possibility of a root rot over lack of water. This serves as a bit of an illustration of the challenges of container gardening. Any permanent or semi-permanent plantings of woody plants in a container will need pretty consistent attention with up-potting or root pruning and repotting with fresh media. If plants remain in place too long without, the roots will expand to fill the container and the soil mix will break down, disappear or become displaced by roots, leaving nothing to retain any water. When you do water, it will run right through the container without the roots realizing any benefit. Even watering on a daily basis may not overcome this. So yes, looking at the roots may make sense but not to evaluate if they are rotting.....I really doubt they are. You are more likely to find a very dense and congested mass of roots with very little potting soil being apparent. btw, it only takes a day or two of very dry conditions for a potted conifer to dry out to the point where it is no longer viable. Been there, done that!
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bugs have a way of finding stressed plants ... when was this planted? .. was it choice stock to start with???? perhaps it has/had other issues ... any chance a dog was involved.. that low dead spot looks like such ... also the skirt of dead needles might indicate improper planting or improper watering after transplant ... i see the lawn chair ... im not sure i would want a multi year rejuvenation project.. where i had to look at it every day ... sometimes its better to cut bait.. and start over ... perhaps with something better ... as noted above ... ken
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dcsteg
11 years ago
With the last week producing 24" of moderate to wet heavy snow in KC I have decided to not buy anymore Chamaecyparis or Juniper cultivars except in prostrate or low mounding form. The two snow event destroyed,splayed or bent to the ground most of these upright cultivars. They simply are not worth the time and effort put forth to protect them from ice or snow storms. Even my 3 nice 10 ft. Thuga occidentalis 'Degroot Spire',yes single leader, I almost lost but rescued in the height of the storm by staking them.

Moving on.

Dave

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