Update on progress: I spent some time on the tree this weekend. Gave her a nice little pruning, using what I learned reading many papers on drop crotch pruning. Learned a ton and the tree looks great! Almost like a big bonsai. So much better than the gnarly mess as pictured in Post #1. Most of the removal was of the low branches, most of which were touching the ground. So I used the "crown raising" technique I read of. Also thinned some interior branches that were rubbing up or crowding other branches, removing some dead wood, and clipping off anything else that seemed to be growing in undesirable directions. Really happy with the outcome and of course is a work in progress. Pic in link. Also removed all the grass as suggested. (Still need to pick out the stragglers) Afterwards I applied a dose of the Bayer Fruit and Citrus following the directions to work on the bug issues. I will hit it with another Spinosad treatment when conditions are right. (evening time, low wind, no rain). How long after the Bayer should I wait to fertilize? Does it matter? Trying to get some color back into these leaves! Thanks all! Looks like we're getting there! :) Here is a link that might be useful:

I would I would say both of those should be your main cirteria. Something to consider...you can improve the drainage issue by amending the soil and/or planting in a raised mound. Not much you can do about sun exposure, other than take out whatever is shading that area. Here in Arizona, we get temps over 110 degrees for days on end in the summer. My kadota is planted against a south facing rock wall where temps are often over 115, and it just loves that heat. So my advice, for what it's worth, is pick the sunniest, warmest location you have and work with your drainagage issue as best you can.

"Well, Charles, lets have a debate"....Sure, but I dont want to come across as a know it all - I definitely do not. And again, if you know the first thing about spruce then you already have me at a disadvantage. But I think that some disagreement can help people learn and if I'm wrong then so be it. It wont be the first or last time that happens. But here's what I was thinking - what's a pretty easy way to ensure maxiumum survial of the very small trees. I think most of us would agree that, all other facotrs being equal, a larger plant will survive more adverse conditions than a very small plant. The seedling stage is probably the most fragile stage in the plant's life cycle. Having said that, if you take ten seedlings and plant them out in the fall, even using the practices you described, they might all die. Why? well I dunno - freak snow storm, flood, bizarre caribou migration, any number of things could kill them. Planting the trees out exposes them to natural conditions which are not predictable. If the plant is in a container its easier to prevent stuff like that going wrong. If it snows alot, move the container under the patio, or into the garage. If the caribou are coming, similarly move the containers. As for the experiment - did you consider that some of your trees are more likely to be lost in the first years? To illustrate that I might design the study this way....take your seedlings and plant them out in fall the way you want to. I would plant mine in containers, maybe two gallon air root pruning containers, like the accelerator brand. There is a link below. I'd use a coarse soilless mix, bark, peat, calcined clay (turface). Use a regular water fertilization schedule. Heres the thing - When conditions are adverse - Ill protect my tree seedlings. Your seedlings must remain caribou fodder. Thats the trade-off. I get to grow mine out for 2 or 3 more years. Once the container is sufficiently colonized with roots I can pot up to the next size or two sizes. Then I plant mine in the landscape just like you did. We evaluate in years 5, 10, 12, 15. My hypothesis - In year five it will already be apparent that more of my trees are alive. As for the size I dunno - Bet I bet a similar study - comparing container grown nursery stock in air root pruning containers to field grown stock has already been done. My guess is that in early years the field grown stock would be a little bigger - the constant root pruning drains plant resources as new roots are developed. But I might catch up and pass your trees at some point - Becasue investing resources in a better root system when the plant is young might very well pay dividends in years to come. Im pretty sure it would actually. But I could be wrong - like I said would not be the first time. What do you think? If Im an idiot you can say so - wont hurt my feelings. Here is a link that might be useful: root pruning container

Don't forget, your lilies are already handicapped. So, if you want to nurse them back to full strength, you should give them at least 6 to 8 hrs of full sun away from nutrient and moisture robbing tree roots. Maybe you could put them in a corner of your veggie garden for a year just to see how they 'turn out' and then move them. Planting orientals under or close to a tree is counter to good lilium culture. Your daffs and tulips do well there because they come on earlier when the angle of the sun is lower and slow budding ash are not fully leafed out. So they're happy there. Orientals, being later, wouldn't have that luxury. They are much later, grow tall and have a tendency to lean toward the light, often requireing staking. Early blooming asiatics wouild be a better choice with the setting you have. But listen, we strive for perfection; but we don't live in a perfect world setting. If you think putting them there is worth a try--your probably right. Let me know how things work out.