Can someone please give me advice on how to keep my evergreen seedlings from dying off? I would like to start a couple rows around the house, but they keep dying off. I know it takes an acid soil and moist ground. But even the ones that were looking healthy now look like they are dying. Also any hints on how to start evergreens from seed? Thank you.
I can't help with Starting them from seed. I would take a piece of paper out with you, put it under one of the branches and tap the branches,, check to see what falls out of the tree. It very well could be bugs killing your tree, and this is a easy way to see. That way you will know to treat the trees for bugs or not. If it is not bugs... they seem to like Crushed oyster shells a lot. Just put a couple of big handfuls down by the roots when you plant them and another couple of handfulls around them after they are planted. Keep them watered the first year or so.
It could have to do with the pH of your soil. We can't seem to grow evergreen trees in our yard because there is either too much or not enough(can't remember which) alkali in our soil.
We use pelleted sulphur to lower the PH for our evergreens. We just sprinkle it on the ground. The soil testing lab suggested 2 pounds per 100 square feet. The PH was around 6 and our white pines that were 8 years old were close to dying. It made them take off and do great.
