What kind of potting mix are you using?

Your tree is just a bit stressed but overall looks fine.

The Picea orientalis firefly can handle full sun. Mine is in the ground in full sun and is doing fine.

As long as you water it when the soil dries you can keep it in full sun. You don't need to water the tree if the soil's moist. Most of my conifers in pots are in full sun in the 5 1 1 mix. it's been in the mid 80s every day and they look fine.

My newly planted Firefly was stressed last year during a drought when I missed a watering. It had needle loss on the ends but has recovered. Even if the outside branches lose needles the new growth next year will cover it over as long as the branch is alive.

Well, like I said I literally unwrapped it, and put it right in the container. I didn't want to disturb the root ball at all, to try and prevent this very thing since it looked so healthy (three days ago). I did. however add some gritty mix I had laying around, just to tightening things up in the sides of the pot.

Nothing to do with the Landscaping forum.

Thanks for your contribution. Also, thanks to the Houzz forum for automatically putting it there.

Well...it didn't come directly from isellis...it was from a reputable nursery in NY. It was shipped last Wed and got to my house Friday....BEFORE the heat waves started.....Odd. I just worry....with the browning at the tips....the buds for next year are already in there somewhere....are they toast? If so...that's an entire year or growth lost, on an already slow tree.

Ah, I see what your saying. Yeah, do you think just planting the firefly somewhere in the ground (not the pot) temporarily is a good idea? Then move it to its final location in the fall?

The skylands, has been in that black pot, in that location for almost 4 years. It's actually never shown a single sign of stress, it's been 100% perfect actually.

Yeah...understood. I just didn't know if keeping it in the black pot and sinking it will make it bake even more, acting like an oven...than freeing the plant from the black pot.

Also, I talked to the manager from where I got it. They received this shipment in late march from Iseli. So...not likely related to that.

Thanks. So you don't think keeping in its pot and burying it will act like an oven and keep the roots even warmer than out of the pot in the ground? Correct?

"So you don't think keeping in its pot and burying it will act like an oven and keep the roots even warmer than out of the pot in the ground? Correct?"

Not if the pot is sunk/buried in the soil - that will act as an insulator and offer far cooler temps to the root mass than if in an exposed black plastic container. But fast drainage will be compromised in a pot in the ground, so be very careful with watering.

Last spring I put my 'Firefly' in full sun in this condition:

This spring it pushed like crazy and even though the previous years' growth is the worse for wear and maybe a half dozen shoots died back, almost every single bud pushed this spring and some of them looked doubtful.

Anyway, jalcon, not the same situation at all, but hopefully yours pulls through and even if it looks rough it may well still be fine after next years' flush.

Here's my Firefly which is in full sun.

You can see here a little bit of browning on a branch from drought. It hasn't rained here in 15 days. I just went out and watered it today.

My experience with almost any conifer that is light colored or shade tolerant is that it takes a few seasons for the roots to develop enough to keep the plant hydrated. If I were more energetic I would put umbrellas over them during the longest, hottest days, but instead I tolerate mild browning (not as bad as the photo from Ontario above) for a couple of summers. My 'Firefly' gets some afternoon shade and is picture perfect. I think that yours will be ok.

Right. Just to be clear it's not technically sunburn, as it's not just the top portions of the shoots burning. The underside is browning in some places too.. obv not exposed to any sun. Root issues, I guess

It still looks like it could be too much sun early in its life. Stress from dehydration could cause browning even in unexposed spots. But it could be root issues also. Isn't gardening exciting? ;-)

It was white plastic. Just the rootball. Had the feel of a plastic bag you'd get from a grocery store. Wasn't actually a bag though. Just plastic.

Something else I noticed on this tree.. any growth from the previous year.. the needles are completely gone from the upper half... very odd. My skylands isn't like that. This issue (if it is one) was like this when I received it though. Probably got sunburnt like hell last year and those needles fell off.