2 identical trees, 1 looks dead

Hello all,

I have got two small conifer type trees that have been kept outside in pots at the front of the house. They are identical, I bought them at the same time and from the same place, and I have looked after them both exactly the same. ie watered together and given plant feed occasionally.

However one of the them has browned considerably and looks almost dead. The only thing that springs to mind is the the one on the right may have been a bit more exposed to the sun, but nothing drastic is it is still shaded a lot of the time. It also appeared to be fine during the intense summer we've had, and has only browned in the last month.

Could it be diseased? Is it salvagable? Is it possible that it will just come back to life next year? I have brought them both into the back garden now so they are easier to keep an eye on and keep watered, I have also moved them into slightly larger pots so that they have got room to 'grow' a bit more, if thats still possible.
I've included pictures which obviously don't need explaining lol.





Thanks in advance.

 

It's a gonner-fir They do that - poxy things . I planted 3 similar to yours in a row - 1 died. I've seen them do it in a large hedge too. No idea why though.

 

Dont be rash Nige F, could always be sprayed silver as xmas is around the corner?

 

My guess is the previous pots were too small and one dried out too much.
It’s not going to return to life.

 

Spray it green and you'll never know it's dead...

 

Ah gutted. Never mind then, shame though as they weren't cheap.

Thanks for the replies all.

 

I've had these die before as well, all due to lack of water. If the soil they're in has come from the garden centre or is cheap I find water-retention very poor and they require a lot of watering and occasional nutrients. In the ground they do much better.

At that height though (~3.5 ft) they're only £3.99 at our local garden centre or 2 for £7.