Have I killed these two arborvitae?

2 months ago

I had these trees delivered in September, but then the guy dropped the tree on my house and I didn't get to plant them as planned :-( I left them outside for the winter except for about 2 weeks where the temperature dropped to single digits at night, at which point I put them in my greenhouse.

Do you all think that they're gone-gone? I don't want to plant them and waste a year if they're unlikely to bounce back.

The first one that looks gone is a "Fluffy". The tag says "Western Arborvitae".

Full size pic:

Close up of the needles:

The tag showing what it's supposed to look like:

This is a "Forever Goldy":

This tag is from a second one, so ignore the green needles in this pic; I just couldn't find the tag on the other one:

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Comments (7)

L Clark (zone 4 WY)
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
My vote is dead. Sorry
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
2 months ago
Mine too.
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kudzu9
2 months ago
Plants in pots are more vulnerable to cold than in the ground. I don't think those survived.
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author
2 months ago
I was most excited about the Fluffy, too :-( That's why I put them in the greenhouse when it got cold, but I guess it wasn't enough. Or maybe too little too late, I dunno.

Oh well. I guess that's $150 down the drain, and hopefully I can get replacements that are the same size.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 months ago
dead...

though trees.. they are more specifically.. conifers.. there is a forum for such.. but its all the tree peeps anyway..

those are extremely huge plants.. for what looks like 6 inch pots.. and that is what killed them over winter ...imo .. not enough roots to support them even if dormant..

on trick to ANYTHING in a pot.. is get it dormant.. keep them dormant.. and you dont move trees into a warm greenhouse in the middle of winter.. for a few weeks.. if in any sense.. they came out of dormancy a bit.. and then were shocked back into it.. it would be a near death experience... though this is z7.. so how much shock could there be...

next time..just heal them in.. find an wind sheltered shade spot.. dig a hole.. and stick.. pot and all in the hole.. and bury it.. presuming you have well draining soil.. this is a way to protect the small pot form the vagaries of winter.. keep sun off the pot.. sometimes at nurseries.. in winter.. you see they stuck all their pots in a pile of mulch for the same reason ....

that healing in the pot .. should take you not more than a few minutes... probably less time than it took for you to put them in the greenhouse..

ken
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 months ago
btw, it is heeling in, not healing in.........
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author
2 months ago
those are extremely huge plants.. for what looks like 6 inch pots.. and that is what killed them over winter ...imo .. not enough roots to support them even if dormant..

I've complained about the local "nursery" before, just about everything I get from them dies :-/ I see that they're not listed as a Southern Living dealer, so they probably bought overstock from Lowes and kept it for a year or more in the same pot.

that healing in the pot .. should take you not more than a few minutes... probably less time than it took for you to put them in the greenhouse..

I don't mean to get dark, but the last 6 months, man... the tree fell on my house, then shortly after my dad went in to ICU from COVID. I was spending a lot of time going back and forth to the hospital until he finally passed on January 8. Then there was the funeral and trying to help clear up his estate...

Long story short, the trees kept becoming less and less of a priority :-/

Have I killed these two arborvitae?

Comments (7)

L Clark (zone 4 WY)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

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Have I killed these two arborvitae?

Comments (7)

L Clark (zone 4 WY)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

Related Discussions

kudzu9

Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NCOriginal Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NCOriginal Author

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GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author

Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author