Norway Spruce with a problem?

[Diver1]

Last year we planted 500 norway spruce, our soil is heavy with lots of clay. I have 150-200 of the trees planted in the open in a field. Many of the trees have turned a pale green color and a number of them are losing there lower branches. The soil where they are planted is exceptionaly heavy with clay. They are 18"-2' tall. Others that I have planted in more shaded areas, and where the soil apears darker, and with more humus have a more normal color and seem healthier. The majority of the trees where they are doing well are planted in a oak woods, they are 8"-14" tall.

What do you think?

Do I have a problem?

If so what steps should I take?

Any help would be apreciated.

thanks

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Ted, if you did the same thing with a vegitable garden, planted it in clay soils during a drought year, would you wonder why the plants didn't thrive?
Clay is a tough environment for new plantings. You might consider taking a soil sample for testing at your local county extension office. Perhaps there is some simple ammendment that would help. Either way, you could rule out soil nutrient deficencies or pH problems.
Another possible problem is water. New trees often have many roots removed in transplanting, making water uptake hard. Add that to clay soils, which often shed water rather than soaking it up, and competition from grass or other plants, could make drought an issue. Mulching around the trees with two or three inches of some organic matter might go a long way to helping the problem, as well as adding some organic matter to the soil.
With small trees like your, you could try a trick used on house plants, carefully dig one or two of the worst up and take a look at what's going on with the roots. Have they grown at all? Are they wet or dry? Insect or fungi problems?
Desication, or drying of the needles during the winter could be another possibility for those trees out in the middle of a windy field. This relates to how dry they were going into winter.
Hey, was Ginsing ever grown in that field? That can cause problems for years. We run into that in Northern Wisconsin.
Good Luck.

 

[Diver1]

Thanks for the help Mike.

The trees were kept watered all summer (just like my garden), but that clay is tough stuff. When we planted them we mixed potting soil and sand into the bedding area, but I guess it may not be enough.

We never had Ginsing in the field, corn and alfa. We will test the soil and see how we come out.

thanks again

 

[Victor Tucker]

Originally posted by Diver1
When we planted them we mixed potting soil and sand into the bedding area

Sand and clay not a good mix; worsens drainage believe it or not

Check http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_planting.asp to see if you put them in right. If you didn't break up the clay deep and wide then drainage is your most likely problem. I use a pick to break up clay ground then a Mantis tiller to blend in amendments. These are the key tools for working with hard red NC clay anyway.

Aiming roots into Amended beds is the way to go. You're on the right track with the #1 job, soil testing.

 

[B.Secord]

Try Plastic mulch...

 

[Diver1]

B. Secord

Im using Oak mulch with this years planting, to help improve the soil and improve the PH.

What does the plastic mulch do?

thanks

 

[B.Secord]

Diver1

Sorry for the delay, actually got to remove 4 trees today.

The idea behind the plastic mulch is to reduce dessication of the soil. I should explain that this concept is a 4' wide sheet of black plastic, that is installed with a machine.

Ther roll approx. 175 yds is put on the front of the machine (which is pulled by a tractor), there are 2 discs that make a furrow, the tractor pulls ahead (dispensing the plastic) , a person lays on the deck and puts a slit in the plastic where the tree is (some practice required), there are two more discs at the back of the machine that put some soil back on the edges of the plastic.
A couple of people follow along and pull the trees through the holes.

Out of 250 spruce (Colorado) that we planted 7 yrs ago we have only lost about 7. The drawback of using a machine like this is that it works best on straight rows but with some practice you can do curved rows as well. Sorry if I am reading anything into this but I hope these plantings are New rows.

If this thing would help you, the PFRA (Orairie Farm Rehabilitation Association) have pictures of these things, and one could be cobbled togeather in an afternoon in any shop.

Brent

 

[Diver1]

Brent

thanks very much for the help, I will look into the plastic mulch. And yes the trees are in new rows, except where we have replaced deer browsed trees or ones that never seemed to have rooted.

thanks

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

why not do a google search on how to grow christmas trees after all thats what you have got..i bet there will be something on there
especialy if you search www.google.co.uk