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Evergreen Tree Covered with Vines #129213

Asked May 22, 2013, 10:49 PM EDT

Hello, I have a tree on a property that I just purchased near the beach in Delaware that I'd like to get help with . An image is attached of an evergreen that needs some help. Can you tell me what type of tree this is? It was very badly covered with vines, about seven years of growth - the entire trunk was covered with vines up to 2" thick each. I cut all of them with a saws-all and removed them down to the roots. You can see that the vines have climbed the tree almost to the top. The tree is looking pretty scruffy. Do you know of anything that I can do to get it to fill in some? Will pruning it up and back be a problem? Does this type of tree fill in after pruning? Also, do I need to remove all of the vines by hand or is it possible that they will fall off as they die, dry out, and the tree grows. Will this just choke the tree? The tree is near the beach, about one mile from the ocean. The soil is relatively soft and sandy. Thank you, Steve Mann

Sussex County Delaware

Expert Response

Although the photo is not at all clear, we suspect that your tree is a spruce which is strangled by vines.  If all the vines are cut at ground level, you should not have to pull the vines from the tree.  It does look like you have a dead branch, which is an indicator of some sort of problem other than the vines.  One guess would be cytospora, which is extremely common on blue spruces and has no cure.  If a spruce is cut back to areas that have no green growth, they will not fill in or regrow from those areas.  Branches that need to be cut, should be cut back to the trunk.  Green growing tips will grow and serve to fill in to some degree.  Keeping the tree deeply watered in time of drought will help in this regard. http://extension.umd.edu/learn/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree vw
Answered by the Home & Garden Information Center's Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturists Replied May 23, 2013, 8:23 AM EDT

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