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Likely not nearly enough sun.

Dax

i cant tell what is new. and what is old growth ...

is all the blue on top.. this years push?

did any of these branches.. or one.. bud out at all???

i would suggest damage PRIOR to your getting it.. and failure to bud out

i would trim back to a live part.. and hope for the best..

a watering issue would affect the whole.. NOT ONE SIDE BRANCH ... and i would be very leery of overwatering... water when it needs it.. insert finger.. no guessing because of one damaged branch ... some mulch wouldnt hurt either .....

as far as i am concerned.. that thing is fat and happy ... do not increase water ...

i have 2 pungens in absolute full shade .. and one of them might even be globosa ...... what did i know 13 years ago .. lol ... they lack vigor compared to specs or sun grown plants.. but they do not have bare branches .... because of such ...

as far as i am concerned.. that is not the issue ...

just trim it out.. bet my shiny nickle your troubles will be gone ...

ken

Thanks Dax,
Hi Ken,
I'm glad you replied. It was your stories about full shade pungens that gave me the guts to try this one. I figured it was worth a shot, otherwise everything in this area would have to be boring green (tsuga, thuja). I don't think there was any damage prior to purchase, because it was in great shape. I bought it May 3rd and you can see the buds on the ends of the tree and how much it has grown since then. It had a great spring push from all sections of the tree.
Also, the entire underside of the tree has lost most of it's needles, and then the sides that get the least amount of sun, this is why I started thinking that maybe it just needs more sun or that it had a disease.
Has anyone else experienced needles loss and ultimately the death of the tree as a result of too much shade? It's really not that shady of an area, lack of direct sun, but pretty bright, so this would surprise me....but I know conifers do love sun, so who knows.

Right after planting

Sounds like my tree might have SNEED (Sudden needle drop). Even describes the black structures i see on the tree.

Here is a link that might be useful: SNEED

it doesnt matter what it is..

i dont see any option other than cutting off the dead stuff ... but then i dont do chems ... but for scale ...

any chance those rocks.. in sun.. are reflecting heat or retaining it late in the night ...

ken

Na, the sun isn't strong enough and the rocks arn't reflective. I cut out all the dead stuff this afternoon and will hope for the best. I already lost a Picea pungens 'Glauca Pendula' in a very similar fashion earlier this summer. Totally different location, with very optimal conditions in terms of sun. My 'The Blues' is doing OK, but did drop some needles, hoping these two rebound next year or I'm not sure I'm cut out for this hobby...

Thanks,
Shawn

Not sure if this is relevant to your situation but P. pungens are one of my 'go to' plants for full sun, reflected heat, dry conditions. They take it like champs. They seem to do fine with regular garden water as well, but I have most of them in spots where they get full sun and good drainage. I tend to be in Dax's camp, that it is too much shade. Might be too damp also. These guys cook at my place and they look fabulous.

For example, this little P. pungens 'Lucretia' is in the most shade of any of mine - about 2 hours/day and remember where I am is dry dry dry in summer and this specimen has been in the ground for three years and never dropped a needle.

Sara

Here is a link that might be useful: Picea pungens 'Lucretia'

I was also in the it could be too moist camp, Sara. That was my 2nd thought; however, there's not enough sun for this specimen to keep its needles... but you're exactly right.

Dax

and lets be clear ...

even though i have two in full shade.. in the hosta gardens.. under drip irrigation ... and i water to make the water hungry hosta live ...

in my sand... it can be near bone dry.. the day after i run the irrigation for 4 hours ...

my drainage is prime.. as trees prefer ...

so dont rule out what they are saying about moisture ... or too wet ....

those rocks are irreverent... but for a new transplant.. and some baking well the plant was in transplant shock ....... it was just an alternate theory.. which i think you properly ruled out ...

only time will tell ..

ken

Thanks for all of the advise, much appreciated. I will be removing two additional 60ft maple trees that contribute significantly to the shade situation. This should increase the direct sun hours to at least 3hrs during summer months and near full sun when the leaves drop as the shade is caused my nearly by all deciduous maple trees.
My drainage is pretty good. Right next to this planting I did the 1x1ft hole, fill/drain, and then fill and time. It completed in 45minutes, which indicates fast to very fast drainage. Ken, not sure if you have done this test, I'm curious what you would get in your pure sands, 20min?
Additionally, I actually used a hammer drill to increase the space between these two rocks and installed a drain at the bottom using a 1ft vertical PVC pipe with screen on top and rocks in the middle, so I don't think draining should be a problem.

I'm starting to think now, that shade can in fact kill a tree all by itself (assuming there is no disease on mine). If it can't retain it's needles, it won't just have stunted growth, but will eventually die.... Damm shade...I need to cut down more of these mature trees.

Damn those irreverent rocks!

I'm taking the sun/shade question to the ACS website to see if anyone has an opinion. I do think that the combination of shade/moisture is not what Pp wants.

Sara

Yeah, a hemlock in shade/moisture and you're good to go. Otherwise, spruce, fir, pine, larch, metasequoia, will all not appreciate that combination, however again.... all of these need sun with the exception of hemlocks. Whichever gets them 1st or 2nd is "irreverent!" ;)

Dax

Maybe the moisture and shade combo created the favorable conditions to promote the fungal needle cast resulting in the toss.

Al

I take back what I said, Larch like water, but w/o sun, they're goners. They'll all get fungal diseases though, again, if no sun; all I mentioned.

Dax