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Cryptomeria Radicans Question

6 years ago

Hello

My local nursery, which typically has great stock and provides good advice, sold me a small Cryptomeria Radicans earlier this summer on sale. The tips were brown and the tree person there told me that it was a symptom of the tree outgrowing its pot, and that once I planted it, the color would return to normal. Well, it's been several months, I planted properly and kept the tree watered once or twice per week, deeply.

I have attached photos....could someone please let me know what they think is going on?

I'm only concerned because I have two huge radicans next to it and if this is a disease I might just remove.

Thanks

J

Featured Answer

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

6 years ago

the tree person there told me that it was a symptom of the tree
outgrowing its pot, and that once I planted it, the color would return
to normal.

===>>> absolutely not.. brown tissue is on the way to dead .. it does not return to green... im pretty sure i could say .... ever ... but perhaps you misunderstood what he meant... maybe he meant.. it would outgrow it ... which it is ...

if you are going to stick around here.. add your location on your members page ...

take a hand trowel.. and dig a couple holes ... in the root mass planted.. if you can ... or at the edges.. and find out if there is any moisture down 3 to 6 inches.. where the roots are ... when you FIND OUT ... you can adjust watering accordingly ...

looking at the water pattern of the drip.. i doubt you are running it long enough to get water to depth ... that circle of moisture at 9 oclock looks rather small ...

it would be better to run the drip for several hours once every two weeks.. rather than too lightly every few days ....

all that said.. i agree with gal .. new growth looks fine .. and thats what you need to focus on ... when this things is 10 feet big.. and 5 feet wide.. in tree time.. the little brown you now see wont matter ...

all you are seeing.. is the bargain you got ... nbd ... but make sure about watering ...

ken

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Comments (7)

dbarron
6 years ago
It may be a symptom...of the plant not receiving adequate water and evergreen conifers do not recover.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years ago
Not a disease........just an indication that it was too dry for too long at some point. These are not very drought tolerant and even less so in a small nursery container

New tip growth looks pretty vibrant so appears it is outgrowing the previous drought stress.
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JR Northern NJ
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks guys!
davidrt28 (zone 7)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Roots are almost certainly knotted and circling and need extensive "repair" work. Just planting it doesn't miraculous fix this LOL. Typical idiotic nursery worker selling damaged stock.
Embothrium
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Whatever the specific cause agree that you were talked into buying a "sad" plant that should have stayed at the outlet. Seeing the way it looks now I'm concerned you may in fact have brought a specimen with a pathogenic infestation present onto your site. Maybe some kind of tip blight or root rot for instance - lab work might be needed to be certain. Anyway if it were mine I would remove and discard it, rather than trying to fiddle with it. What, exactly might be wrong with it not being the primary issue.
davidrt28 (zone 7)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I don't agree with Embo that it's a primarily caused by a pathogen - properly planted* and maintained Cryptos are quite healthy on the east coast - but I do agree the nursery shouldn't have sold it like this.

* - which means in high quality, well draining soil

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