Ken, yes, maybe a little over-reach on my part. The Cedars can really be almost invasive (but nowhere in the league of Ailanthus, or a one type of thorned honey locust that I have). Years ago, I transplanted about 5 Red Cedars seedlings. A few years later there were 25 nearby. They are like the "loaves and the fishes". But they will 'up and die" on you too, at a moments notice. They just throw a hissy fit. I had a 15 footer (that I had transplanted as a seedling) that moved into the hereafter the year after I pruned a few branches off the bottom. Or, if they don't get enough sun, same thing. But this one (picture about) gets enough sun. Anyway, I have enough projects. Right now I have four cedars about the size of this one or larger that need to be taken down. Not looking to cut this one down, replace it. Thanks also to brandon for commenting. But no, less than two inches of mulch on those trees. That's just the grade, an illusion.

You need to dig the one with the "root ball" up and soak the "root ball" until it is thoroughly wet. Then straighten out the roots the best you can and replant. If necessary, use a knife or scissors to open up the "root ball". The "root ball" is what we call root bound. When it was replanted at the nursery it was not planted properly. It should be OK if replanted properly. You will need to keep watering it when it gets dry. Always water in the AM. Many plants will look bedraggled in the PM on hot days. That is normal. It doesn't need watering unless it is wilted in the AM. Make sure it has good drainage before you replant it. Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow rhododendrons and azaleas.

I live in the South, long hot growing seasons, lots of humidity. My brugs are all planted in the ground. I have several that look like your first picture and several that look nothing like it. I have had cuttings from the SAME plant grow 10'tall in a couple of months and another cutting that began to grow horizontal and never get over 5' tall. Same mother plant, same planting time, same everything. Mine bloom best after it rains. In the middle of summer, like now, they often have very, very few leaves and no blooms. Then it rains. Hot and humid and covered with blooms. One, an unknown white, had about 300 blooms on it from about March to June. It now has about 3 leaves on it & nothing else. We have very alkaline soil and our water is very alkaline. My "soil" is really little more than sand to tell the truth. And I'm notoriously bad at fertilizing anything. And forget treating for bugs! I never prune anything unless it's in my way either. I've had at least 5 flushes of blooms this year, all equally beautiful & expect them to all bloom again once it cools off a bit. Our heat index was 115 yesterday & it was 99 at 0530 this morning. Tally HO!

Hi, My sister happened to have a furniture repair person at her house yesterday and also sometime last week b/c when they moved over the summer, some of the furniture was damaged by the moving company. I asked my sister to show him the pictures and ask him what he thought as well. He actually worked in NC for many years for the NC furniture stores doing exactly what I am having an issue with...repairing furniture before it is shipped to the customer. He eventually left b/c he did not like the deceitfulness that goes on in NC to the end-consumer and says it is actually a fairly common practice unknowingly to the consumer. In my case, it just happen to have split again too early for their liking. In conclusion, as most have said here already... He said it is not a crack from a wood knot. They rarely use pine in manufacturing furniture these days and I agree since American Drew states they "xxx" woods and pine is not listed. What he did say is that it is called a climatic crack and that the wood that American Drew used to make the piece was not dried out (enough). He did say that the red stain is definitely a primer and the piece was already repaired once before. He told my sister that the wood may not dry out for another 2-3 years and that the problem can and most likely will occur again if I settle for the repair. He said do not settle for a repair, you need full replacement. Regardless if it is due to wet wood or shipping damage from AD to Boyles, it has been repaired already. I probably can get a thousand testimonies to that from people in the field like you. I did NOT pay for a repaired piece of furniture!! I would not be so defiant if it was there upon delivery and we did not notice it, but it was not there upon delivery or when it went through Boyles QA Dept. To Duane and Mogator88 - knowing yet another confirmation that this piece has already been repaired once, I am now 100% confident that if I was to send the chest back without a full replacement being dropped off at my house at the time of pickup, I would get the same exact piece back AGAIN. They have already done it once. Now would you call AD and tell them what is going on since it was obviously repaired before. If Boyles repaired it b/c they did not feel like putting in a claim and AD knows nothing about this it is AD's reputation on the line. Or perhaps, it was a Boyle's customer that declined delivery/acceptance b/c it was damaged when it got to their house. Yes hundreds of scenarios, but one common conclusion. Again, how can Duane and the furniture repair man at my sister's house look at the picture and say it has been repaired once before, yet Boyles cannot make that determination without the actual piece in their possession. Fishy to me and you know I will be getting the same piece back, claiming by them it is a full replacement. I guess we just cannot determine if it is wet wood or just shipping damage, but I am not taking the chance. I will not dispute the charge. I agree it will probably agitate them so they will not accomodate me, but I will keep on fighting for a full replacement and will not settle for anything less after all of these confirmations of prior damage that I am receiving. Once this may-hem is done, my review of Boyles in this forum and to others by word-of-mouth will not be very favorable. Thanks again for your support and solid expertise.