Most of the articles I have read on diseases in Dwarf Alberts Spruce trees talk about needles browning from the bottom up. My problem is needles browning from the top down. This tree is about 10-12 years old and has been wonderful up until now. Can you comment on a likely cause of this sudden onset. Many thanks. In in Ontario, East of Toronto.
Doesn't sound good. Has the weather been drier than normal in the last few months? Can you post a photo?
Thank you for your quick response Michael. The weather in May was significantly below normal but has been more normal in month of June. My wife tells me she has been watering the spruce about once a week. Today she gave it a good jet spray to dislodge any insects and she made up a mixture of insectesidal soap and sprayed it over the tree, This was recommended by Mark Cullen, a well known horticulturist here in Ontario. My wife also says that it appears the needles are re-budding, so things may not be as bad as they first seemed. Here's a picture as requested. I'm new to this so if attachment doesn't come through let me know.
Trying Again. It would not let me upload a .jpg file so I'm sending the image in a Word Document. It seems to work.
Odd you couldn't load a jpg! Looks like spider mite damage. The best thing to do is spray it frequently with water (spider mites don't like wet), and hope the new growth is enough to cover over the damage.
If you want to see if you do have spider mites....take a white sheet of paper and put it under the branch and tap the branch. You'll see them if you have them.
