Bad soil?

[Jack Strickland]

Over the last 2 planting seasons, I've had 2 differnet spruce tree plants die in the same hole. Plants located about 5 feet away are doing well.

I guess it's possible there is something wrong with the soil in this particular spot. I'm thinking of digging out a lot of the soil and replacing it with mew soil before putting in tree number 3.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, Jim

[Wolf Kirchmeir]

You say "plants" 5 ft away are doing well, but you don't say what kind. It's unlikely that soil a few feet away is majorly different from the patch in which you planted the spruce trees, so I'm guessing that it's a soil pH issue. Spruce (pretty well all conifers) like acid soil with pH around 5. Most garden plants and deciduous trees and shrubs prefer neutral or slightly basic soil with pH around 7 to 8. This does not preclude planting another spruce tree there, but check the pH level first (get a soil-testing kit at your garden shop), and acidify the soil around the tree if necessary. Peat moss acidifies, as does fertiliser made for conifers.

You also don't say whether you bought these trees, or just dug them up in the bush. If you bought them, the nursery should be good for them, assuming you followed their instructions. If they're wild trees, be aware that the root damage you caused by digging them up could be bad enough to kill the tree. Prune the tree by about 1/4 or 1/3rd (lop off the lower branches) to reduce the load on the roots, mix bone meal into the soil before planting, sprinkle some around the roots as you fill up the hole. Bone meal promotes root growth.

Conifers also need a surprsing amount of water, so keep the soil moist (but not sopping wet) for a month or two after planting. This usually means soaking the ground every two to four days, depending on your soil conditions, rainfall, etc.

You also don't say what size these trees were. In general, it's best to plant seedlings. More mature trees don't transplant as well. And conifers transplant less well than deciduous trees.

HTH&GL

[Vox Humana]

The other plants might be better suited for your climate or their location. The planting technique could be faulty. Some spruce are subject to fungal disease and will die regardless of all else. New trees and shrubs need TLC for the first couple of years, especially watering and winter care to prevent dehydration and wind burn.

[Sir Topham Hatt]