Hinoki Cypress may be dying What's going on? How do I fix

[NickUnit]

Hello, I'm new here.

I originally got this roughly 6 months ago. I'm in the USA in a climate zone 7 B

When I purchased this tree it was in great health. I moved it into a Biorb Terarium, I kept it here roughly 3 months. I noticed some browning on the bottom portion and decided to post to Reddit to ask for help.the brown was dried out and crumbly, I was told it needed to be outside

I then repotted it and put it outside. We recently had a little snow and the tree changed to this burnt orange color shown almost overnight. The foliage is not hard and pretty pliable. I currently have it inside with a grow lamp. If someone could please help explain what I need to do to save this tree. It means the world to me

 

[Jphipps]

Unfortunately it looks like it's very likely dead or close to it.
A couple things, reddit was correct telling you it had to be outside. Keeping it in the terrarium initially put it in a very weakened state. With it already being weak, repotting it further stresses an already stressed tree. Combine that out of season repot and a drastic change to sudden cold and then sudden warm temperatures back inside, and you end up with a dead tree.
This happens to the best of the us, and honestly most people when they get into this hobby with their first few trees. Sometimes trees also just die on us for no apparent reason. Early mistakes to learn from for the future. My first tree was a repot out of season and way too heavy pruning all in one go= dead juniper.
Keep reading and get yourself another hinoki, or 5 lol... start with learning the horticulture and observe your trees.

But welcome Nick. I hope this experience doesn't discourage you too much.

 

[NickUnit]

Unfortunately it looks like it's very likely dead or close to it.
A couple things, reddit was correct telling you it had to be outside. Keeping it in the terrarium initially put it in a very weakened state. With it already being weak, repotting it further stresses an already stressed tree. Combine that out of season repot and a drastic change to sudden cold and then sudden warm temperatures back inside, and you end up with a dead tree.
This happens to the best of the us, and honestly most people when they get into this hobby with their first few trees. Sometimes trees also just die on us for no apparent reason. Early mistakes to learn from for the future. My first tree was a repot out of season and way too heavy pruning all in one go= dead juniper.
Keep reading and get yourself another hinoki, or 5 lol... start with learning the horticulture and observe your trees.

But welcome Nick. I hope this experience doesn't discourage you too much.

I just brought it in 10 minutes ago, should I put it back outside?

 

[Jphipps]

You can try that. I'd put it on the ground and wrap an old towel around the pot to keep the roots a bit warmer. It does look like the damage has already been done over the last few months. There's not really a quick fix to a tree that's been fading in health like this one has. Trees move at the speed of tree.

 

[NickUnit]

You can try that. I'd put it on the ground and wrap an old towel around the pot to keep the roots a bit warmer. It does look like the damage has already been done over the last few months. There's not really a quick fix to a tree that's been fading in health like this one has. Trees move at the speed of tree.

If it's dead it's dead, is there any harm to keeping it inside in the warmth with a much stronger grow light?

 

[Peconomou]

I had a similar problem with my Hinoki. I have had one for 2yrs here in Massachusetts. I keep my trees outside in the winter with the pots buried in the ground. It did fine the first winter. The color was muted through the winter but never went more brown than green. At the end of the second winter, it was all brown. Much of the brown foliage was dried out and fell off, some was still pliable. It finally bounced back in late spring early summer...the brown went away and turned green. Some of the foliage was lost but it still looks good. I placed it in a different spot this winter that is much more protected from wind and much more shady. I will see what happens.

 

[Kanorin]

If you put this tree outside now it will suffer because it has not had a chance to undergo a dormancy cascade that allows it to be cold hardy.
If you leave it inside it will suffer because it's not getting enough light.

I'm 98% sure this tree is toast. If you buy another one, it will do much better if it is outside throughout the entire calendar year.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...but anyone who thinks this tree has a high chance to live is not being realistic.

 

[August44]

I also think Hanoki are a bit particular and not a good species to start with. If you like conifers, maybe try spruce seedlings. They are tough and can bare more beginner mistakes IMO. They will do well in your zone if you water and fertilize correctly, keep it outside. and maybe on the ground and protected for the winter.

 

[rockm]

Bottom (honest) line--You've killed it by

a) keeping it in a terrarium

b) Keeping it inside

Neither will keep a temperate zone tree healthy.

The terrarium is far too humid, no air circulation or sun or drainage for the species you chose. All of that is needed to keep a temperate zone conifer healthy. That environment likely set the tree up for the fungal infection that looks to have killed it.

It is beyond help at this point. Hinoki does not backbud from old wood. If there is no green foliage left or that isn't dying, the tree is a goner. This is a "live and learn" situation--you can't keep temperate zone bonsai indoors, particularly not in a hothouse environment like a terrarium. If you want to do that use a tropical species. Ficus of schefflera MAY be able to tolerate such conditions.

 

[hardtimes]

try a ficus in the terrarium

 

[MattE]

Just an FYI my hinoki was outside and got down to -10C multiple times. Tips went a bit brown i did bring it in and to be honest its doing really fricken good inside under full spectrum light and mist twice a day. its grown alot in the past month and a half its been inside. ( i do think the 2.5 months of fall and cold temps help it get rested. but its all i can do till its warm enough to go outside.

Good luck. Just give it what it has outside in the summer and no reason it cant live in the house till its warmer.

 

[_#1_]

I believe the poor guy's feelings got hurt

 

[Brzzzz]

Unfortunately it looks like it's very likely dead or close to it.
A couple things, reddit was correct telling you it had to be outside. Keeping it in the terrarium initially put it in a very weakened state. With it already being weak, repotting it further stresses an already stressed tree. Combine that out of season repot and a drastic change to sudden cold and then sudden warm temperatures back inside, and you end up with a dead tree.
This happens to the best of the us, and honestly most people when they get into this hobby with their first few trees. Sometimes trees also just die on us for no apparent reason. Early mistakes to learn from for the future. My first tree was a repot out of season and way too heavy pruning all in one go= dead juniper.
Keep reading and get yourself another hinoki, or 5 lol... start with learning the horticulture and observe your trees.

But welcome Nick. I hope this experience doesn't discourage you too much.

We had these professionally installed fall 2022 and have irrigation that runs 4 times a week during spring, summer, and in to mid fall. I have one hinoki that has done really well on one side of my house but these two appear to have died? Does that seem accurate, can they be over watered?. Everything else has thrived except these two hinokis.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Hinoki are trees. Keep outside

 

[Matt3839]

We had these professionally installed fall 2022 and have irrigation that runs 4 times a week during spring, summer, and in to mid fall. I have one hinoki that has done really well on one side of my house but these two appear to have died? Does that seem accurate, can they be over watered?. Everything else has thrived except these two hinokis.

What type of sun do they get?

I water my potted ones every other day and they get morning-mid day sun and they’re pretty happy. They are coastal trees so they do like moister soil than some..

 

[brentwood]

I put my hinoki in was much sun as I can get, think they're more susceptible than most to fungus because of their tight growth - like sun, good airflow. I like to keep the soil on the quick draining side, APL with a little extra pumice. I dust my black pine and this hinoki with sulfur in late Fall, leave it out all winter with mulch around the pot, blocked from the prevailing wind.
B

 

[Brzzzz]

What type of sun do they get?

I water my potted ones every other day and they get morning-mid day sun and they’re pretty happy. They are coastal trees so they do like moister soil than some..

they only get sun from around 5:30p to 7p. The sun rises and sets behind our house so the house blocks a bit of it. I do use irrigation system from around 3:30a-9a each section gets 30 minutes in mid summer and then 15-20 minutes in spring and fall for watering. Plus whatever we get with rain. I would say it stays pretty moist, all of the other plants (hydrangea, crape Myrtle, wintergreen boxwood, Fountian grass, and a blue spruce) do decently well - as in they haven’t died yet lol.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Sad… what is your approximate location and USDS Plant Cold Hardiness Zone?

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Thank you so very much.

Cheers
DSD sends