Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: help!, 0 by LadyCleo

LadyCleo wrote:
Thanks for all the advice. Keep it coming!

Guy, I've sunk the pot in the ground with a good mulch cover to help keep the roots evenly moist and to prevent drastic temperature fluctuation. I have it in a location with a few hours of morning sun where it can say until it has finished the rehab process. I don't think fluff would be a good idea because of the plant's sensitivity to air pockets in the root ball. I have hope. We shall see.
I was so appalled at the obvious abuse (neglect) this tree received and the insolent attitude of the customer demanding a replacement that I just walked away and turned it over to the fearless manager. It ends up that this tree was already a replacement for a glorious Silberlocke Fir they had previously slaughtered. Deal done, obligations met, no ding dang replacement or credit for the murderers. The GM gave me the tree as a gift.
Equil, your practice for drenching and topping off when you repot is a good solid practice. I'm fortunate to have a few shallow ponds to use and a good soak does basically the same thing. It's fun to watch the air bubbles rising from a dried up plant knowing that the potting medium is being saturated and the roots getting a good long drink. The drainage process and my dirty hands settle the dirt back down firmly when the bath is over. Genrally, fertilizing a sick plant is not a good idea, but in this case giving the root growth a boost with the product you mentioned might be a good idea. I'm going to look into it a bit more first, but will def try the Shultx stuff with some other plants I'm going to move in the fall. Thanks for the info.
Here are a few pics of the poor baby. Let's hope I can post a happier view in a few months.