Spruce rehab

Mountaineerfan

Seedling
Messages
15
Reaction score
30
Location
Milton, GA
USDA Zone
7
So earlier this summer (mid-June) my son was in charge of watering the trees while we were gone for the week. It happens to have been the hottest week of the year. Apparently he thought watering meant to “paint them” with spray until they looked wet. Needless to say I’ve been spending the intervening time rehabbing a bunch of trees, and thankfully they are pulling through.
I have a spruce that I am very concerned about. This has some sentimental value to me, and I am trying hard to keep it alive. It lost two limbs near the bottom (I haven’t brought myself to cut them yet), and a LOT of foliage. I soaked it, and have had it in a shady spot ever since, and it started to perk up. I’ve noticed some newer green shoots coming on, but lately it seems to be losing more needles and struggling again. I’ve been doing a ton of research, and am wondering about root rot. I’ve learned that mid-summer is a good time to repot spruce, and while I’m a little past that I think it was worth a try here in Atlanta. So tonight I repotted it in Boon’s mix, and left some old soil on the roots for the mycelium. I trimmed what I think were rotting roots, and I’m hoping this soil will drain better, as the previous soil did not seem to.
Have I done good so far? Is there more I should do? Is there something I shouldn’t have done?
The first picture is before repot, the second is after.
 

Attachments

  • C50EB713-7333-4443-8A76-AC516B8ACEF0.jpeg
    C50EB713-7333-4443-8A76-AC516B8ACEF0.jpeg
    360.8 KB · Views: 89
  • 45FE5FCB-1FC1-4046-A908-42A138661B81.jpeg
    45FE5FCB-1FC1-4046-A908-42A138661B81.jpeg
    356.1 KB · Views: 84

Potawatomi13

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,168
Reaction score
4,403
Location
Eugene, OR
USDA Zone
8
Tree needs Sun. Will languish in shade unless only shaded in hottest afternoon hours. Soil damp, not wet. Lousy time to repot! Lots of luck. Reverse taper in trunk from graft needs addressed IF tree survives but not immediately needed.;)
 

Mountaineerfan

Seedling
Messages
15
Reaction score
30
Location
Milton, GA
USDA Zone
7
Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I've wondered about how to address that taper ever since I got it. An ideas? Obviously I am doing nothing with that for awhile! So far, the repot seems to have helped. I'm watching it closely.
 

Potawatomi13

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,168
Reaction score
4,403
Location
Eugene, OR
USDA Zone
8
Only suggestion for trunk is allow to grow sacrifice apex several years and cross fingers for now;)
 
Top Bottom