Hi all, Would greatly appreciate some advice on caring for chamaecyparis trees. Last year I purchased 3 chamaecyparis trees, 2 crippsii and 1 aurea. The aurea was planted in the July/Aug time frame and the crippsiis were planted in sept/oct. The aurea is a bed with full sun exposure and the crippsii are in a bed with sun/shade mix - mostly shade. When the trees were planted the soil was conditioned with pine bark mulch and moss, and I covered the beds with an inch of pine bark mulch. We have a sprinkler system that waters the beds at least every other day for approximately 8-10 mins. I was advised to protect them through the winter months by wrapping them. I found a breathable wrap at English Gardens and thought this might be better than burlap, so covered all 3 in the Nov time frame. In Michigan this past year we had a fairly mild winter with very little snow. We had a spike in temps in March - low 80s, at which time I unwrapped the trees. They were crispy and brown, but was told by several nurseries this was natural, and to wait it out. Now it is mid may and they are still as crispy and brown as ever. I took a spring to the nursery where I bought the crippsii and he told me I didn't water them enough - that they need to be drenched in water like a hemlock. I spoke with a different nursery who told me they probably got too much water since the area I live in is rich with clay based soil. I would like to replace the trees with the same species but need to know why they died so I don't make the same mistake - and have to get a part time job to supplement the expense (wink.) Has anyone nurtured these types of trees successfully, and if so, what kind of environment/conditions do they prefer? Appreciate any guidance!
