Black Hills Spruce destroyed by????
I planted a small (about 2-3 ft) Black Hills Spruce in my yard two years ago. It has been doing great (until today) despite the numerous wildlife in my area (coastal Virginia) to include deer, raccoons, squirrels and rabbits. Today, I noticed that the spruce was folded in half from top to bottom and about 8-10 limbs are off... not sure if they were broken or chewed off. The tip of the spruce was also broken off about 10 inches from the top. All of the limbs were left on the ground and they don't look like anything was eaten off of them. Any speculation as to the culprit? I would like to put another spruce in its place, but I am also leery that if I do, the same thing will happen again. I am really bummed about this. Any chance of this spruce rebounding? I have it staked back up, but the trunk was broken so much where it was bent, I doubt there is any hope for it. If anyone can offer some input or advice, it is greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Comments (11)
kefjens
8 years agoEmbothrium
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Black Hills Spruce Help
Comments (16)I know....so I just corrected myself a little. I am quite sure it gets to pH 7 locally BTW. I just can't measure everywhere. Anyway: found out Picea glauca will tolerate pH 8 and variety densate 4.0 to 7.5... Glauca can tolerate clay and to top it of: they are happy in Sunshine zone 1 to 6, I live in 4. Just a final question: what I have very very rarely seen is any spruce actually reproducing in clay. They can grow there, but I have seen no reproduction. Over here they do so in moss and sandyloams. Does Glauca reproduce on clay?? And my question remains: how well does this variety do comapared to Alberta spruce??? Thanks!...See Moreblack hills spruce sickly need advise PICS
Comments (11)i dont care if you use chem's .... BUT .. always a big but.. 99% of the time you dont need chems... you should never spray chemicals willy nilly without a proper ID of the bug ... and you should always mix according to instructions ... and apply accordingly .... ----- since you did not ID them .. answer these questions ... did you kill any beneficial insects? did you needlessly expose the kids [i know you are a lost cause ... lol] in killing said bugs... etc ... i used to use chems all the time when i was hooked on roses .. luckily they all started dying as they are prone to do in z5 ... the foo foo collector roses .... and then kids started rolling in .. and i just decided that the bugs can have what the bugs want... because i dont need to expose the kids to it all ... i would like to confirm a recollection i have ... the biggest polluter in the US is the home owner .... spraying what need not be sprayed.. using improper mixtures.. and improper application.. etc ... etc ... anyway buckie .... you planted them last year... they were shocked from it all .. you tended them perfectly .. and they are thriving as indicated by the great growth ... you did well ... as the learning curve increases... just skip the chem's ... i just dont think you will ever really need them ... trim what.. those branches inches from the bottom.. yeah.. even it out ... ken...See MoreBlack Hills Spruce 'Densata' Autopsy
Comments (5)Not enough supporting root structure left. Especially for a 6 ft. conifer. It happens all the time. 90% was left in the ground you got the remaining 10%. Bad dig. They will usually look healthy at first and maybe put on a touch of growth but the kiss of death was there when it was planted. In this case it didn't matter how high or low the root flare was planted. You should have returned it before the year was up. Always inspect B&B very carefully. Make sure the root ball is adequate. Broken root balls are always a bad sign. This happens from poor handling by taking them off the truck and dropping them to the ground. Always a kiss of death when that occurs. Always buy them in the spring when freshly dug. Those sitting around all summer won't survive unless they have been potted up to keep root ball moist. Sorry about your loss. Hopefully better luck next time. Dave...See MoreBlack Hills Spruce SNEED, Rhizosphaera and spider mites
Comments (11)The overhead sprinkler could be causing a lot of your issues. Are the needles getting wet from this system? You want to water at the base of the tree, preferably using a drip system of sorts. Needle moisture is the biggest problem I see so far. Watering at night is a very bad idea as well. In lawn care it is highly frowned upon because the water doesn't have a chance to dry off the surface of the grass quickly without the sun, moisture sits there all night, which again, encourages fungus. The same is true for trees. How are you checking moisture. How fast does you soil drain? I'm assuming slow, since it is clay. You will need to be especially careful with your watering program in clay soil. Spruces do not like wet feed, they like a quick drink and then near drying. Insert your finger to first knuckle to check for moisture. If dry water, if not, leave it alone. Dig a whole 1ft by 1ft. Fill it with water, let it drain. Then refill the hole and time how long it takes to drain. This will give you a visual understand of how long the water is sitting at the root level. How much Sun are the trees getting? This post was edited by SC77 on Thu, Jun 12, 14 at 14:11...See Moresheltie6
8 years agoMike McGarvey
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoYou can continue to grow it. It's still alive and will repair itself.
That's what I'm doing with one of my Serbian Spruces, Picea omorika, that got buck rubbed.They won't bother it while it's small, and since they don't eat it, I'm going to let it grow for awhile and build up the rootball before choosing a leader. I don't even have to fence it. Heck, maybe just keep it pruned to a bush. I have several. (Thanks, Dax)
Mike
I took the dead top off right after taking the picture. It was buck rubbed last year. I kept the dead top on to show my friends what I'm up against.
plantkiller_il_5
8 years agoMarie Tulin
8 years agosheltie6
8 years agoUser
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agooutback63 Dennison
8 years ago
Mike McGarvey