wadek

OK, I have grown a bunch of pines, but am having LOTS of troubles with the Japanese Black Pine 18" seedlings taking transplanting in #2 pots.

I assume the JBP does not like changing different climates very well. I bought a dozen seedlings, put them #2 pots with 50% Turface and 50% Scott's premium top soil. Water, moist but not swamped. Kept them indoors in medium bright light 70 degrees. They showed no signs of improvement, just dried up and turned khaki brown and dead from the base up. I assume the roots dried out too much and they did not make the mail order journey.

Second dozen are lasting a little longer, but are turning khaki dead from the bottom up, and from the needle tips inward. I brought this batch outdoors with temps from 40 degrees to 70 degrees. Shade, except one hour of sun per day. No sign of bugs or disease. Some show yellow in the needles, but mostly going straight to brown.

These seedlings are coming to me with 3 inch candles, where in MN the natural outdoor candles are .25 of an inch. I know JBP cant take winter temps below zero, so they will need to be protected over the winter.

Is the climate change killing these? or what else could it be?

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