I know Cedar wont do the best in zone 9 but almost every source Ive seen says they are hardy here and I have seen cedar of Lebanon growing in similar conditions to West Central Florida. My maybe 2 years cedar tree has had many new shoots (including the top apparently) just abort and I am confused as to why. I am worried it may be the intense heat we got the past week, and it currently lives in a pot in the shade to keep out the heat. I give it ice instead of water in the winter to at least give it some cold. I also had something similar to my Italian stone pine happen and the top died again, but it's doing much better. I don't know if it's disease, the roots seem intact and the pot is relatively moist but not very. Thanks for any help, I couldn't find anything on the internet.
why the large pot out of curiosity? I never get good reliable growth from a plant that's potted up so much. does it get any sun at all?
well the tree is dead now so nothing would help. It was in the screen room on thr northeast east side. I got the big pot so I wouldn't have to transplant it in a long time, since transplanting conifers is a nightmare.
It rapidly declined from there. 1 Month later all the buds went very limp 1 by 1. I still don't know what happened.
could have had a disease or could've been overwatering. I've tried big pots for similar reasons in the past and its a struggle bc the top dirt where the plant is dries quickly but the bottom third dries quite slowly which can lead to residual moisture problems like fungus and root rot while the top of the plant burns up. I'm in OK and have successfully grown a number of these in morning sun but I usually restrict sun after 2pm or they can burn up. they do fine in pots but you do have to keep them in a pot thats just large enough for them and throw a couple large rocks on the bottom to improve drainage and avoid that bottom pot waterlogged effect i described. these are beautiful trees and worth another try. good luck as far as transplanting goes I do it in late fall and have the destination pot/location prepared to receive the plant. Make sure the plant is dry and hasnt been watered recently, then dig a wide hole around the plant and scoop it with hands from underneath and carry it directly to its new location. if obviously root bound then rough up the roots bit. if not set right in the hole and fill.in. its a PIA the first couple times but when you get it down its not too bad.
