The following was received via email: I bought and transplanted a blue spruce about a year and a half ago. Like an earlier poster, it did extremely well through it's first year. It had a healthy blue color and sent off new growth with aplomb. Since then, its health seems to be waning. Its color has become a sort of light green with a tinge of yellow. The needles are still soft to the touch and I am not yet seeing any browning. Its branches seem to be held in a slight downward arch towards the ground. It's kind of begining to look like a Christmas tree on New Year's Day in this respect. It is planted in a clay soil here in Oregon. The root ball was a clay, as well. I dug a hole about twice the size of the root ball and added a mixed soil/plant food. I did tease the roots free but I am now questioning whether I did it as thoroughly as I should have. Also, there has been no new growth from the tree this spring. The buds are present but there has been no growth. We have had a very dry winter here this year. Dean
Check soil moisture, if not already dead may still be possible to bring it back by correcting moisture problem, should there be one. Amending of planting holes can cause soil moisture problems, also when you open up/bareroot a plant you may need to to really keep on top of the watering afterward, until it roots out.
