My cedar shrubs have been slowly dying over the last few years and I need your help to figure out the cause. First the needles turn brown and fall in the middle of the shrub, moving towad the outside of the shrub. I was told it may be caused by a moth so I've tried spraying water and a soap mixture in the middle of the shrubs. (very time consuming) I've noticed some white webbing which was not from a spider web. Also some small white moths would fly out from the middle when I sprayed but not sure if they are the cause. I've noticed small holes in the main part of the shrub like something may be boring its way in....I've tried watering the soil, and am considering a fish soil amendment to help build it up. I recently had them pruned and have noticed their deteriation has increased since then...probably not a good decision. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Can you put up a couple of pictures? A wide shot, one of the base of the trunks and close ups of the problem areas? Cedars older needles are closer to the trunk and will normally die back. Larger Cedar trees will experience what we call "Cedar Flagging" where three year old growth gets brown and falls off by Summer. When exactly did you have your Cedar hedge trimmed? It has been too hot to do Cedars around here for about a month now. Was there any construction in the last couple of years, the piling of dirt or debris, or a grade change around the roots? I wonder if your hedge was trimmed too much? I hope they haven't exposed the brown needles by trimming too much. Without a picture I'm shooting in the dark.
