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Spruce Trees Losing Needles #768006

Asked August 18, 2021, 4:49 PM EDT

Hello. I’m hoping you can help me. I bought trees from the state some 30 years ago. They always did fine however over the last few years the Spruce trees started losing their needles to the point that they now are looking pretty bad. Can you tell me what is causing the issue and if I have any solution other than cutting them down…which I hate to do. I have additional picture however I could only upload 3 at this time.

Livingston County Michigan

Expert Response

Good Morning,

info taken from below article

As with any tree health problem, the first step in dealing with declining spruce trees is to diagnose the problem and identify the cause. For large or important landscape trees, homeowners should contact a professional arborist or tree care company.

Hiring a certified arborist who comes on site and examines the whole planting and gives you an action plan may be the most direct way to go- find them by zip code here- www.treesaregood.org

For some disease issues, such as needlecasts, fungicides may be effective in preventing or controlling the disease. It is important to note that fungicide treatments for needlecasts only protect new growth. For control to be fully successful, it may take two to three years of yearly fungicide applications. For canker diseases, the effectiveness of fungicides is usually limited. Removing affected branches is usually the best action to improve the tree’s appearance and slow the spread of disease within the tree.

For insect or mite issues, insecticides or miticides can be effective, however selection of the proper product and timing are critical.

What is spruce decline and what should you do about it? - Christmas Trees (msu.edu)

I hope this helps.  Thanks for using our service.

V/r, Replied August 19, 2021, 7:50 AM EDT

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