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New to gardening, think I've killed one and there's another on the way ! HELP !

mandy.jackomandy.jacko Posts: 3
in The potting shed
Hi

I'm new to gardening, i'm not green fingered in the slightest, but thought over lockdown I would give it a go.  I had bought a Christmas Tree and a Gooseberry Bush, and I am sure that I have killed the Gooseberry Bush, and am doing the same to the Christmas Tree.  They are both in pots and live in a south facing garden, and are placed next to the southern fence.  I have attached pictures.


Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 16,538
    Did the xmas tree actually have roots or just a stump?  Sadly it looks like it's on it's way out.
     The gooseberry I would prune down to about a foot  and let it get stronger this year.I'm assuming there is drainage and that is not a cache pot.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,366
    The fir tree needs a much bigger pot, and some shade. They need lots of water, so they're not ideal for pots unless you're vigilant. Even in wet areas they can be dry because the rain doesn't penetrate the dense canopy. It also will need fresh soil - and it should be soil , not compost. You can get suitable John Innes varieties in GCs and other outlets. The brown bits probably won't make it though. 
    If it doesn't have a proper root system though, as @fidgetbones describes, it won't thrive anyway.

    Gooseberries probably aren't in growth yet in many areas, but the same would apply in terms of refreshing the medium it's growing in . Keep the weeds away too.  Someone asked about gooseberries earlier, or maybe yesterday :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mandy.jackomandy.jacko Posts: 3
    Hi

    The Christmas Tree has a root ball on it. Can the dead bits be taken off the tree?  As for the Gooseberry, can I prune it down at this time of year? Not sure what a cache pot is sorry.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,366
    You can take the dead bit off, and new growth from elsewhere might cover it. Most of them don't regrow from brown wood though. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Loraine3Loraine3 Posts: 558
    A cache pot is what is usually used indoors to place a pot plant in to hide the pot. Yours does look like a plastic pot inside and the cache pot doesn't have drainage.
  • mandy.jackomandy.jacko Posts: 3
    Ok, I’ll have a go at sorting that and taking off the brown bits. Thanks 
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