First post. Need some ID help please!

8 years ago

Happy to finally be able to join the community. Over the past week I've been trying to lay the foundation for a small inexpensive Pinetum on my family property. We are in zone 7 of NC. My father has always wanted to do this project and it is turning into a real obsession

Here is a wide of the field and a mix of old a new plantings.

The two spruce? trees are old Christmas trees we planted almost twenty years ago.they both are sound 15-18 ft. I'm curious what they are exactly. Their individual photos are below the wide.

The weeping first tree:

I'm early in my tree knowledge, and I'm curious what this is? It has always had this 'sickly' look about it, is there anything I can do, or is it supposed to look this way?

The second... In bad need of some vines removed, and some trees removed from its interior.

In my quest for something outside of the cypress and arborvitae specimens my dad seems to be obsessed with, IE:

Cupressus arizonica

Went to the local landscape supply and they were giving these pines away for 15 bucks because they couldn't id them.

Contacted Monrovia, and have yet to hear anything.

I only bought one, but as soon as I got it in the ground I knew I wanted the other two. Is it a Japanese White Pine?

In the ground, and in the need of friends

Thank your advance for your knowledge and assistance. Can't wait to add more trees to this space with you all's advice. It's awesome to have a huge space in need of specimen plants, but I want to make sure i keep in mind future plantings.

--Steve

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
It has always had this 'sickly' look about it, is there anything I can do, or is it supposed to look this way?

===>>>

i am thinking.. that you are thinking... or have some preconceived notion of what a conifer should look like .... and since this one is outside your notion. you are thinking it looks bad .... not good ...

the Id peeps are probably going to need some closer pics .... of the buds ... and the needles ... a cone if you can find one ...

it is my position.. that trees... once established.. NEVER need anything from you ... i am sure you drive the byways.. and see millions of free range trees ... nobody is doing anything for them.. and they are just fine ... if anything. your plants are stressed ... they are.. and never will be.. hungry ... just forget about fert ... forever ...

anyway ... back to the first... look to this years growth.. compare to last years growth ... look for a bark color change ... and if they are consistent.. then there probably isnt anything wrong with it ...

if you look at the pine..study it.. you will see it grows in whorls.... look at the top set of buds... one center one.... which will be the leader... and a bunch of side ones.. that will be the branches ...

then look down the trunk ... and you will see the whorls for each year.. and you can pretty much.. guess how old it is .... since the grafting .... you can also tell.. how much the trunk grew each year.... expect the year or two after transplant.. to be reduced due to the transplant ...

good luck on expecting an answer from monrovia.... they arent in the biz of talking to retail customers.... as they are a wholesaler ... they may answer.. but dont count on it ...

finally.. i would get rid of the shipping stakes.. especially on the pine ... simply useless.. especially if it doesnt go past the potting media and actually into the soil ...

read this link about proper planting.. and lets discuss that which you may not have done to specs ...

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

thats all i can jam in one rather short post...

get those better pix ...do keep in mind.. sundays arent high traffic.. so be patient ....

ken
redspruce
8 years ago
Those spruces look like Norways to me? Not sure
Related Discussions
I'd like to put my chair order in today, I need some help please
Q
Comments (16)
Lyfia, all great points you brought up, it really helps me plan and think. Honestly we have no set time frame for having this project done, since we have an up and running kitchen in the other part of the house and we are working on the new kitchen as time allows. I spent part of this week filling every little brad hole with putty and sanding everything. This weekend we should get a primer on and if dry time allows the walls and ceilings painted. I think we are at the point we are going to put in the cabinet order too. We still have the floor to put down, sand and seal. Tile the whole range wall, put up shelves. The wiring is done, we still need to run plumbing .. which means going under the house in the Summer .. YIKES! We live in copperhead country, not a fun prospect. Last year my DH got bit, we were very fortunate it was a 'dry bite' though! Valinsv, thanks for the help and suggestions, they are very helpful! Les, I love those 50's dinette chairs and if I was going to do a booth, I'd be all over them. I honestly don't think with a very rustic table I'd be happy with them ... even though they look super cushy to sit on. :) If I do go with these chairs I'd have seat pads made for them. I still haven't put my chair order in, I was all ready to go, now I'm hemming and hawing over details again. Part of me wants to go this way, part can really see everyone sacked out in a comfy booth and chairs playing board games and drinking coco. I know that everyone brought up very valid reasons to stay away from a booth, like people being inconvenienced by having to move to let the inside people out, etc. The thing is though we don't have those types of sit down and eat parties where I see it being a problem. When we entertain adults it's normally in a relaxed, casual setting outside on the deck or around the pool area, where we have large tables in each area. When it's just the five of us here, there would be plenty of seating that we could all spread out. I'm lucky that my girls really do get along, there is not alot of she's looking at me, touching me, breathing my air problems. *LOL* I grew up with 3 siblings, I know how that goes, we spent a lot of time bickering. ;) When it's the kids and their friends having snacks, I don't see it being a problem where the kids would feel inconvenienced. So in short I'm still stuck, I think! *LOL* Sometimes I can see right away the path I want to follow, sometimes I start second guessing myself. *sigh* Normally my Husband will chime in with his feeling on the matter and we'll work it out in a way that we are both relatively happy .. this time he really doesn't seem to care, well other than wanting me to make a plan so we know how to finish the room. ;)
...See More
Help me ID this succulent please? Also need some help with it
Q
Comments (1)
I think it needs a good soaking. It is trying to conserve moisture and is dropping old leaves. If you are unsure, stick a long toothpick or wooden kebab skewer deep into the soil and leave it overnight. Pull it out tomorrow, and if it doesn't feel dampish, you should water. It is possible your soil is compacted into a hard mass which water cannot soak into. When you water, watch if the water comes out the drainage holes immediately or if it actually soaks into the soil. If it pours out immediately, immerse the whole pot in a deep tray of water and let it soak for a few hours. Then use the wooden skewer to determine when it needs to be watered again. The purple colour is likely from the high light levels. happy growing! Breton
...See More
Need some ID help please
Q
Comments (9)
It's better to post photos directly here. When you type comment, below the text box there are 2 icons, one is a camera icon, click that and you can upload pics directly from your device. The other one is Houzz Photo icon, where you upload pics to your page, then pick photos from there to post here. Wait until you see the pic uploads in your comment before clicking submit button, to make sure it shows up in your comment.
...See More
Hello first post... NEED HELP PLEASE.....wild JM tree
Q
Comments (3)
It needs to be outside!! It will be perfectly happy outdoors - that is its preferred location - and will withstand plenty of cold. You just need to take precautions against the soil in the container freezing, so wrap or somehow protect the container if temperatures should drop much below freezing. Ideally, you should plant it in the ground as soon as you can work the soil. Whoever told you that Mother's Day nonsense is nuts!! It's in the 30's here at night and low to mid 40's during the day and will be for the rest of the month or so and I just purchased two small containerized JM's from a local nursery and they are happily waiting outside until I can plant them properly!
...See More
plantkiller_il_5
8 years ago
I thought so too

Hi steve , Welcome,,,,plenty of room there,,,it's going to be fun,,,you mentioned obsession ,,,that's a good way to go,,,ha

ron
Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)
Original Author
8 years ago
Ken I snatched the stakes. The Arizona was staked after planting due to a bending habit. I assume it will right itself now that it is in full sun, an ideal conditions.

I'd say I followed planting guidelines pretty well according to your link. I might need to extend the mulch out a bit, and add anther inch and a half.

Mad far as the two spruces, I am leaning heavily towards them being two different cultivars of Norway Spruce.

Here are cones from the weeping variety.

And here is the only cone I could reach from the bushy guy (there is a thick poison ivy vine that needs some immediate attention inside this tree)

As far as the pine is concerned. I noticed that the needles were 5 to a cluster. They have a blueish white stripe running down the center, so I can comfortably say it is a Japanese white pine.

Thanks for the welcome Ron. I never thought I'd be obsessed with trees, but I see nothing but potential for this cool space, and conifers offer so many gorgeous forms and colors.

Today I added:

3 of these 1 gallon Colorado spruces. Spaced about 30 feet apart, on the

And a cool little Hinoki Cypress

Its fun to see all the incredible possibilities for this space. I have my eye on adding an atlas cedar, a golden deodar, a cryptomeria, and a grouping of metasequoia. It would be nice to venture out into less popular medium and small varieties to fill in the spaced between.

-Steve
Garen Rees
8 years ago
Welcome Steve! Oh boy, the conifer addiction has started. Be warned, once you start looking into the never ending cultivar varieties offering spectacular color, form, and texture, the addiction quickly intensifies until you have full blown coniferitis. Theres no turning back now, and with the space you have available, looks like your in good shape to handle the ride ahead. Yippee!

The first two are normal Picea abies (species seedlings) grown from seed. The seedlings will vary in form. As for the sickly part, They look normal to me. You'll get the best forms from specifically selected cultivars that have been grafted (cloned). Look for varieties that have been named (e.g. Picea abies 'Perry's Gold', 'Gold Drift', 'Pusch', 'Rotenhausii')

Your Japanese white pine is most likely Pinus parviflora 'Glauca'.

It's good to start getting familiar with the horticultural nomenclature, proper naming of species, rather than going off the common names. Common names can be misleading. For example, the common name "red cedar" can refer to many different species of trees and most referred to under this common name are not even cedars. You'll get used to learning the correct scientific names real quick while perusing the many conifer varieties offered through mail order sites when you get to that point of addiction.
Garen Rees
8 years ago
If adding Metasequoia, I highly recommend adding at least one Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' or a 'Sherman's Nordlicht'.

Okay, I can't help myself you need some of these to name a few and hundreds more.

Picea orientalis 'Aureospicata' or 'Skylands'

Picea engelmanii 'Bush's Lace'

Picea omorika 'Pendula Bruns' or 'Berliner's Weeper'

Picea pungens 'Hoopsii'

Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke'

Cupressus nootkatensis 'Glauca Pendula', 'Green Arrow', or 'Sparkling Arrow'

Pinus contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst'

Pinus thunbergii 'Thunderhead'

Sciadopitys verticillata, any
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
ok .. this was your first post ...

it is getting too overwhelming on the multitude of topics ... so i am losing interest ...

posts are free ... the forum is rather slow... so there is no reason not to do new posts.. on specific plants ... so as to narrow down the discussions... appropriate titles would help others.. when they start searching for info ...

you have picea pungens ... if you want a really blue one.. search out and obtain P pungens Hoopsi ...now that one is blue ....

ken
Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)
Original Author
8 years ago
Garen, thank you for the welcome, the excitement, and the advice about starting to follow scientific nomenclature. Also, thanks for the list. It definitely mirrors a lot of the species I've been eyeing online.

Hate to ask another question... But

Are there preferred online sources, or is it a searching game more or less?

Ken, I understand what you're saying about too many subjects in one post. Separating them makes sense.
Garen Rees
8 years ago
Here are links to a few of my favorite online sources. I have received great plants from all of them.

coniferkingdom.com

Dan's Dwarf Conifers

forestfarm.com

iconicgardens.com

maplestoneornamentals.com

songsparrow.com

singtree.com

Your wish list is about to get a lot bigger =)
pineresin
8 years ago
Yep, Norway Spruce Picea abies, two individuals with different crown shape (the species is quite variable), and a Japanese White Pine Pinus parviflora.

Resin

First post. Need some ID help please!

Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

redspruce

Related Discussions

plantkiller_il_5

Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)
Original Author

Garen Rees

Garen Rees

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)
Original Author

Garen Rees

pineresin

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

First post. Need some ID help please!

Comments (10)

Related Discussions

Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)Original Author

Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)
Original Author

Stephen Gibson (NC 7B)
Original Author