I finally got a Blue Atlas Cedar--I named him "Charlie Brown." My husband and I planted him last weekend. He stands around 6 ft. tall. "Chuck" was already experiencing some needle loss when we purchased him (at Home Depot, 1 yr. guarantee), but he actually looked alot better than the other cedars at our local nursery. We kept him in the big pot he came in for about a week before planting. During that time, we kept him watered and he seemed to be doing well. We planted him last weekend--did everything the instructions said--dug the big hole (depth and width), filled bottom of the hole with really good drainable topsoil, removed the burlap from the root ball, planted him in good soil, watered him, and woolah--about three days later, all of his needles were falling off (dry and brittle) and then the new little needles he'd grown fell off. We fed him Miracle Grow 3 days ago. The bare, brown branches are still pliable and the little brown buds (no needles) are still there, but "Chuck" definitely looks like the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree (actually worse). I haven't detected any new needle growth. I've kept him watered and the temps here in Manassas VA have been pretty warm (no freezing temps at night). My questions, FINALLY--Is "Chuck" in shock? Does "Chuck" have bad genes? Did or am I doing something wrong? If there still is life in "Chuck", how long should it take for him to snap out of this situation and start to show some life? I read one website that stated the survival rate for landscaping trees is about 50%. That's certainly not very encouraging! ARGHHHH! I need some advice from other conifer transplanters!
Take it back and get a live tree. Plant so will have same soil throughout rooting area, do not refill planting hole with different soil. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda Chalker-Scott/Fact Sheets/Planting fact sheet.pdf
Atlas cedars often drop some needles when transplanted, but the fact that yours pushed new needles, then dropped those is a bad sign. (Usually they only drop the older ones, but you can still see new buds about to push).
i agree to take it back.......only buy the healthiest plant, if it looks a little sick leave well alone.
Update on Still My "Naked" Blue Atlas Cedar Update: I scraped various branches with my fingernail and it's green underneath. Wouldn't it be odd for a tree to be dead if it is still green underneath the bark? And the branches are still very pliable. Does that mean it could still survive and start making new needles soon????? How often does it make new needles???? I can't tell if the existing buds on the branches are going to produce new needles.
Don't waste your time with this struggling specimen, take advantage of the coverage extended by the nursery and take it back, get something else.
