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Arborvitae #704764

Asked July 24, 2020, 11:14 AM EDT

I have arborvitae  in the back of my house in a development that are approximately 12 feet tall. Within the last month in the middle of the row there are 3 of them that are starting to turn brown from the outside and it seems to be spreading further inside. There are 2 together and then a spacing of 3 other shrubs and then another one that is turning brown. I've read about winter burn and wind burn but they only started to turn brown within the last month. What could be the problem??I don't think It is a case of burn because these are in the middle of the row?.

Berks County Pennsylvania

Expert Response

Is there any chance you could attach some pictures? Little difficult to determine cause of the problem with just the description.
Tom
An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 27, 2020, 10:36 AM EDT
I did include 2 photos with my original question. I will try to resubmit them . 
The Question Asker Replied July 27, 2020, 12:54 PM EDT
Yes, now that I am on my desktop, I was able to see the pictures.  Any chance you could provide some closeups?

Tom
An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 27, 2020, 1:44 PM EDT
Hi Tom, I will try to take closer pictures.. I'm not really good with technical things such as computers etc. could you zoom in on the pictures?? Just asking ? Thank you 
The Question Asker Replied July 27, 2020, 8:34 PM EDT
Could be winter/wind burn but I doubt it. That would have showed up much earlier this season. Some other possibilities:
  • bag worm
  • scale
  • leafminers
  • spider mites
  • twig blight (Kabathina, Pestalotiopsis, or Phomopsis
  • herbicice drift from nearby neighbor or herbicide applied to lawn and taken up by roots
  • root disturbance (was there any nearby digging?)
  • drought issues
  • or too much water.  Homeowners have been known to apply to much water to trees/shrubs that they drown the roots
  • poor soil/compacted soil
  • girdling of the stem at soil line (rodent feeding or lawn mower/string trimmer)
  • improper planting (yes, trees/shrubs that were planted improperly such as too deep, will take years to show that issue)
  • mulched too heavily
  • salt runoff from nearby sidewalk or roads


An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 31, 2020, 10:28 AM EDT
Hi Tom, 
we believe it was herbicide that was applied to our lawn to keep fleas and ticks at bay. Is there anything we can do to  rectify this??
    The Schmale's 
The Question Asker Replied July 31, 2020, 4:09 PM EDT
Herbicides can kill plant tissue (are you sure it wasnt an insecticide applied to the lawn for fleas and ticks?).  At this point, just try to reduce stress to the shrubs like providing adequate water around the roots, mulch to control drying out of the soil, wtc.

Here in central PA, arborvitae hedges are going by the wayside because of uncontrolled bagworm infestations.  tom
An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 04, 2020, 9:49 AM EDT

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