Hi,

We have a tree that my parents bought for us when we moved into our home. We think its a blue spruce.

However in the last few months the lower, inner branches are turning brown and crisp. I've attached some photos. There is new growth on the end of the branches.

We're desperate not to lose this tree so I'd really appreciate an opinion.

Thank you.
Steve

On Tue, 5 Jun 2018 22:20:57 +0100, Sandman1600
wrote:


Hi,

We have a tree that my parents bought for us when we moved into our
home. We think its a blue spruce.

However in the last few months the lower, inner branches are turning
brown and crisp. I've attached some photos. There is new growth on the
end of the branches.

We're desperate not to lose this tree so I'd really appreciate an
opinion.

Thank you.
Steve


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: IMG_1598.jpg |
|Download: http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16661|
|Filename: IMG_1593.jpg |
|Download: http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16662|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

The pics look like some critter (deer) peed on it. Deer won't dine on
spruce unless they are starving, but if all else is covered with deep
snow they will forage on sharp spikey spruce needles. Does will pee
on spruce trees. I have many spruce trees, I see damage like yours
often. I'ts not a disease, it's pee... ignore it and the tree will
heal itself. Truth is does will get ****ed that they need to eat
spruce and so will get even by peeing on them. Many critter do
likewise, anyone who has cats as pets knows that they will
occasionally do their business just outside their litter pan, they are
****ed about something, probably that the pan is not cleaned and want
you to know it.

Thanks for the reply.

We’re just outside a city though and there’s no deer anywhere round here. We get foxes and cats but little else.

This browning is mainly on the inner, lower part of the tree which I wouldn’t have said was easily accessible for foxes or cats though. There’s another plant around the base of it which makes it even harder for them to access.

We had really cold temperatures and heavy snow earlier in the year if that could be a factor?

It’s also planted in a relatively shallow bed of soil... about 2 to 3 feet.

My main concern is that it’s disease or something else that needs treating to halt it.

Thanks again.

Here’s a photo from a couple of months ago so you can see the tree in situ. Thanks.

On Wed, 6 Jun 2018 15:16:32 +0100, Sandman1600
wrote:


Thanks for the reply.

We’re just outside a city though and there’s no deer anywhere round
here. We get foxes and cats but little else.

This browning is mainly on the inner, lower part of the tree which I
wouldn’t have said was easily accessible for foxes or cats though.
There’s another plant around the base of it which makes it even harder
for them to access.

We had really cold temperatures and heavy snow earlier in the year if
that could be a factor?

It’s also planted in a relatively shallow bed of soil... about 2 to 3
feet.

My main concern is that it’s disease or something else that needs
treating to halt it.

Thanks again.

Spruce doesn't like wet soil, if it's in a low spot that stays wet for
extended periods that could be the problem.

On Tue, 5 Jun 2018 22:20:57 +0100, Sandman1600
wrote:


Hi,

We have a tree that my parents bought for us when we moved into our
home. We think its a blue spruce.

However in the last few months the lower, inner branches are turning
brown and crisp. I've attached some photos. There is new growth on the
end of the branches.

We're desperate not to lose this tree so I'd really appreciate an
opinion.

Thank you.
Steve


Not sure if your climate or location would necessarily have these
problems, but here are specific pics of needle browning that might
match and give hints.

https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden...iscolored.html

On 6/6/2018 2:23 PM, Kikey Sheldon Katz wrote:
Spruce doesn't like wet soil, if it's in a low spot that stays wet for
extended periods that could be the problem.

Is that the type they have at the HUD apartment you live in?

Sandman1600 wrote in
:


Hi,

We have a tree that my parents bought for us when we moved into our
home. We think its a blue spruce.

However in the last few months the lower, inner branches are turning
brown and crisp. I've attached some photos. There is new growth on the
end of the branches.

We're desperate not to lose this tree so I'd really appreciate an
opinion.

Thank you.
Steve

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: IMG_1598.jpg |
|Download:
|http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16661|
|Filename: IMG_1593.jpg |
|Download:
|http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16662|
|+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Might not be anything particularly terrible. Inner/lower branches of spruce
normally die off as the tree grows and they don't get enough light. Dryness
can accelerate the process.

Thanks again for all the replies.

Looking at that link, it does look very similar to Rhizosphaera needle cast... how it's browning but new shoots appearing on the ends of the "dead" branches.

I've uploaded another photo with a closer look at the needles... are these dots not what needle cast looks like?

On Thu, 7 Jun 2018 08:21:35 +0100, Sandman1600
wrote:


Boron Elgar;1028748 Wrote:

Not sure if your climate or location would necessarily have these
problems, but here are specific pics of needle browning that might
match and give hints.

http://tinyurl.com/ycee7mvf

Thanks again for all the replies.

Looking at that link, it does look very similar to Rhizosphaera needle
cast... how it's browning but new shoots appearing on the ends of the
"dead" branches.

I've uploaded another photo with a closer look at the needles... are
these dots not what needle cast looks like?


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: IMG_1610.jpg |
|Download: http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16664|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

I confess that is out of my area of knowledge. Does one have local
agricultural services provided by government there? We call them
"extension" services and they can often provide information specific
to the area about growing, blight, etc. If you have such, you might
want to check there.