Shrubs are dying

[CARS]

Last spring we planted 2 Youndstown Juniper evergreens and 1 Emerald Beauty Arborvitae. All 3 are turning brown. Seemed to get worse over the winter, but really never took off the way I would have imagined over the course of last year.

Is there a "miracle solution" to try and help them recover? Any ideas??

Oh btw: since I haven't updated my sig, I am in zone 4 USA!
They are 3 feet away from the house on the south side. Surrounded by grass and in the middle of summer, shaded by a huge tree. Picture perfect if they would just grow!

 

[patandchickens]

Basically, their root system is messed up. It is possible to do that by insufficient care in planting: you want to carefully tease the rootball apart as much as feasible, ensure correct depth of planting, do not fertilize, but water religiously (not excessively of course) right through Oct/Nov of the first fall after planting. And for evergreens (as yours are) it can be worth burlapping them for the first winter if you do it correctly, especially if they are in a windy exposed site.

(e.t.a. - how often did you water them? 3 ft away from the S side of a house can be a tough place because of drought...)

However, by far the most common cause of what you describe is that their root systems were just in rough shape before you even bought them. Especially if they came from Walmart or Home Depot or like that, but it happens with depressing regularity from apparently-nice garden centers as well. Doesn't matter what the topgrowth looks like: next time pull the plant surreptitiously a bit out of its pot before buying and inspect the roots. If it is potbound, don't buy it (unless you want an intentional gamble). Also be very cautious if the same seller has ANY draggly underwatered overexposed plants for sale, as yours may ahve recieved the same treatment.

Midday shade is not really ideal for most junipers or for arborvitae, btw...

At this point, you have three choices: leave them alone for a couple years and see if they take hold better, or very gently dig them up (you can probably lever them up with just a digging fork if they're in poor shape rootwise) and see if a potbound root mass needs to be teased apart and spread; or just write them off as a learning experience, dig up and replace with healthier plants. Honestly my experience is that woody plants with root-related problems in the first year very seldom get to be *healthy*... but you can always hope I guess.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[CARS]

Thanks Pat!

You assumed correctly... Home Depot :/

I will try and see what the root ball looks like. What do I have to loose? I can always just modify the hole (larger, more amendments) and buy better ones. The H.D. ones were <$30.00 each so not too big of a lose.

 

[Catalina]

Here's a link to the Uof M extension web site's article on winter burn.

It gives 4 reasons for why it occurs-

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1411.html

I haven't had any luck with arborvitaes. They never seems to develop into a nice bush and after a few years I get mad and rip them out!

Good luck with yours!