Dying weeping blue atlas cedar

[Lauren Diamond]

Any input appreciated!

I have a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar in a large pot on the deck of my City home that has done well for two years. This winter it was exposed to strong winds during a nasty snow storm that broke its support and left it dangling until we returned home from vacation. In the Spring almost all the needles dropped, some of them had browned starting at the tips, some had not before they fell. I fed the tree and it began to profusely sprout baby green needles, only to have them brown in their infancy, starting at the tip of the needle.

The pot is draining well, the branches remain green inside.

 

[Sheal]

I suspect feeding the Cedar after being damaged may have put it into shock. Personally I don't feed any weather damaged plants giving them the opportunity to recover slowly and that could take some while, possibly up to a year.

It may also have suffered root damage either by wind rock or frost. I would just water it when necessary for now and see if it shows any sign of recovery over the next couple of months.

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

It would be good to see a photo fo the whole plant including its container. The weather and lack of support may have indeed damaged it, but the longer-range truth is that a large tree such as your Weeping Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula') will only have a limited and reduced lifespan as a container plant. Even without other extenuating circumstances, it is likely that this tree is becoming terminally rootbound. If possible, see if you can find an in-ground location for it with a friend in the suburbs or countryside. It just might recover, if the matter has not gone too far already.