dannysmom wrote:
Sheldon wrote:
dannysmom wrote:
Sheldon wrote:
dannysmom wrote:
I have 2 conifers about 20 feet apart with patches of their needles
turning red. One is a weeping bald cypress, the other is a dwarf
alberta spruce. I see no sign of insects. I have sprayed them with a
3 in 1 product called Safer, but the areas continue to spread. Are
these trees goners? Thanks in advance.

Are they receiving enough water? It would help to know the age of the
trees and where they're located.

I live in Northern Va. zone 7. They are both about 5 years old. They
are in full sun. They may not be getting enough water. I only
water them if we don't have any rain.

They're very young trees, probably not planted too very long ago.
During dry spells they need to be watered deeply once each week... do
not sprinkle them every day... just one good deep watering each
week... could probably benefit from a good layer of pine bark mulch,
just don't let any mulch touch the tree trunk.

Thank you, Sheldon. I'm glad that the problem is not a disease. I
will start to properly water them. Since the bald cypress is
deciduous, it can start fresh with new needles next year,

The cypress may begin to start some new growth this year.

but the
spruce...will new growth (albeit slow) eventually fill in and cover
the affected areas?

It's a young tree so I'm sure the new growth will fill in any empty
spots... just don't lop off the lower branches until you are sure they
are dead... for a specimen tree you want spruce with it's branches
clear to the ground.

I had a "fernspray cypress - compact form", the deer ate it before I
realized I needed fencing, now there's an arbovitae in it's place,
fenced.

Fernspray cypress when first planted, now eaten :-)
http://i8.tinypic.com/54b13c7.jpg
Now an arborvitae, fenced! http://i8.tinypic.com/68b98ux.jpg

I have a dwarf alberta spruce ("Jean's Dilly"), a very slow grower but
cute... luckily I planted it after I installed fencing.

First planted (2004): http://i12.tinypic.com/6b924g7.jpg
I'm sure you can pick out the "Dilly" (2007): http://i16.tinypic.com/6bm4etf.jpg

With these type of plants it's important to keep other plants from
impinging on their space, any other limbs touching them will kill some
of their growth.

Take pictures of your plants so you can look back and appreciate their
growth.