I have a blue spruce in my front yard that is about 30 ft & I'm assuming the same age as the house - 28 years or so. I have noticed this year a very high level of cone production - hundreds of droppings - & now appears to be dying from the inside out. Is this a natural lifespan or is there something killing this tree?
Hard to tell without pics. An increase in cone production could be a sign of flagging be it to much or to little water. The tight dence foliage of Picea pungens tends to cause dieback to the interior needles as the can no longer reach light and serve no purpose to the tree. This is similar to 'Picea glauca',they look like their dying from the inside out but they are not. Is the ground compacted around the base of the tree? is there lawn growing right up to the trunk? can you stick your finger into the soil just outside the dripline or is the soil to hard? I would not be concerned about the dead needles until the outer,visible needles begin to brown and die. Check the tree to make sure it is recieving the right amount of water. And, if you get a chance post a pic.
