Green Giant brown- what is it?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi,

I'm in zone 6a, SE Mass. Green Giant about 7 years old. We had a rough winter. I think this tree is about 20 feet. You will notice in the photo I posted the green sample of the tree along with the brown. It's a couple of spots on the tree not in any particular spot and about the size of what I broke off in those areas.

I have not watered this tree since I planted it the first season except maybe if there was a long summer drought.

Anybody know what I should do?

I need this tree to live.

Thanks for the help!

Terri

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Comments (5)

wisconsitom
8 years ago
Terri, I can offer you my brief history of GG in considerably more harsh site in zone 4: I planted two different groups of Green giant at two different times. In both cases, one up in a windswept filed, the other right down in the swamp directly adjacent to the closely-related native Thuja occidentalis I have growing there. In both cases, these trees took off like a shot. I felt certain I was going to be expanding the Thuja gene pool in that one little area! Silly rabbit....two winters ago, we had severely cold temps. All of the GG's browned up like toast that has been left in the toaster too long. I noticed a bit of life was left in them so left them be for a few months, this all being two summers ago. Finally, I got sick of looking at these ugly things, especially in a place where the native cousin grows with such ease. My saw tells the rest of the story.

I think your home is probably somewhat less demanding of a place than my tree farm land in N. Wisconsin. But nevertheless, I feel pretty sure that the cold-hardiness parameters of this cultivar have been overstated. Definitely not hardy enough for where I am. Maybe the same is true where you are.

+oM
Terri zone 6
Original Author
8 years ago
Great. It is screening the neighbor's pool which torments my kid all summer long.

I cant't find a small Norway Spruce to save my life but, every nursery I've been to has a million gg.

The location I have them in is in baking sun and somewhat windy.

thanks again,

Terri
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Hi Ken, I've posted 2 pics to show the browning. We are in the suburbs .. I'm told the soil is sandy - there was a row of evergreens planted in same spot years before so they do grow well in this soil. The Green Giants are 4-5 feet tall, freshly dug at the farm and balled in burlap - no pots. They are planted in a birm of fresh, clean topsoil and with some food applied at the root (by the landscaper). They are also mulched on top. It's rained quite a bit lately and when I felt the soil, it was quite moist. I can dig down but with the amount of rain we've had I'm certain its wet all the way down at this point. Like I said, I did look inside each of the trees and all of that looked good. It's more the exterior that concerns me as it is browning and the tips are browning. Thanks, Lisa
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There are certainly Thuja occidentalis cultivars with dark green foliage, 'Nigra' for instance. If anything, that's what these look like to me, what with the multiple competing leaders, darker green coloration, and not very tree-like growth habit. Any T. plicata's I've ever seen, other than dwarf cultivars, had strongly tiered branch arrangement. Absolutely do not appear to be GGs. +oM
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what bboy means.. is that GG is a hybrid between Thuja standishii x Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' .. and not simply a Thuja ... regardless.. it is dead.. you wont know why until you dig it up .. if not shipping.. handling or watering.. there is even a chance that the balling itself.. chopped off too many roots... please review the planting instructions at the link.. and if you replace it.. SKIP ALL AMENDMENTS.. and plant high in clay ... and do it in the right season.. june is getting late in many 0parts of the country.. to do it best .... since GG can grow 2 to 3 feet per year.. even in cold zones.. i dont really understand why you bought it so big ... a smaller plant is easier to get home.. easier to plant.. and easier to get re-established ... and... you can buy a potted one.. and not worry about all the roots being chopped off ... also skip the snake oil quick start .. unless you have some left ... its of no harm.. its just not worth the money .... and i have no clue what a deep root waterer is ... but INSURE that the root mass never dries.. nor gets too wet.. you check with your finger.. or a small trowel ... had you done that this time.. you would have know if it was too wet or too dry ... something bothers me about your plant.. i am not sure it is a GG ... it looks too pendulous .... but the pics are too small for me to see well ... maybe joy will tell us ... hit the warranty .. take the money.. and buy a smaller plant.. i would bet a buck.. a 3 footer... will outgrow the other in 5 years .... good luck ken Here is a link that might be useful: link
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It's been about 2 months so I thought I'd share a few more photos. Here is what they look like now. I'm pretty happy with their growth. They've started to green up, fill in, and grow taller. Some of them are growing over the top of the 4ft electric wire fence post. I've been sticking with my watering routine of every 7 days, but recently just switched to every 5 days because it's been really hot and dry in my area. The most recent issue has been bag worms. I didn't notice them until were in their final stages, so I've just been picking them off and squishing them. I'll spray next year so hopefully that will take care of them. Any advice on which spray to use? Will I have to keep spraying every year? I'm getting in some more mulch and going to mulch on the outside of the trees where is a little skimpy.
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nearpass
8 years ago
I picture, if you could get one, would probably be very helpful to many.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
if sporadic ... then i smell kid abuse ...

really need a pic of the whole ...

disease is not sporadic ...

after the first year.. they should not need water ...

GG has no winter issues in z6 ...

if in fact it is a GG ... but then no other thuja should have winter issues either in your zone ...

i am thinking ... football ... socceer ball... launching elmo ...

just reach in ... and prune to a live branch.. it will fill in ...

its damaged.. not hungry.. fert is not the answer ...

BTW .. frankly... IMHO ... it could have been damages any time in the last two years... but being evergreen ... it can take a while to actual brown out.. and that usually happens in winter .. though it doesnt follow.. the damage actually happened in winter... so the causes of these weird little patterns ...... are lost to memory ...

ken
Terri zone 6
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Two years, I can't remember two hours ago never mind two years, lol.

Yes, I realize the maples have to come out or at least one of the gg. I cut a bunch of the branches off of one and stopped when I came upon a birds nest. The birds need to do a better job eating the bugs, lol.

Green Giant brown- what is it?

Comments (5)

wisconsitom

Terri zone 6
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Green Giant brown- what is it?

Comments (5)

wisconsitom

Terri zone 6Original Author

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nearpass

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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