Hello all I don't know what variety of pine this is (i'm assuming it's pine) but it's health seems to be getting progressively worse. It was about 3 years old when i bought it in the early spring and I repotted it without any damage to the roots. But every day it seems there are more and more dry brown needles which are mostly on one side of the tree at clustered closer to the trunk. Any suggestions/tips on what I might be doing wrong. I water it nearly every day or as the soil demands. regards Aniko
Dwarf Alberta spruce. Shriveling of recent growth might, in fact be due to drying of the rootball - or maybe damage from last winter. White specks would be adelgids. Check rootball to be sure is moist (but not soggy) throughout. Try washing adelgids off with forceful jets of water. This will also clear old, spent needles out of the center.
Did you have any premature or spontaneous hot weather recently? I've seen similar damage to my own Mountain Hemlocks several years ago, when the sun was a bit intense - like in May, rather than June or July. Ends of some twigs shriveled. Interior dead foliage is the norm with those Alberta Spruce. Exterior discoloration usually has some cause, but the cause in not always insect. Sometimes though.
As a matter of fact there was a hot spell as there tends to be in these parts. I figured the tree would be fine with some sun but it was obviously too much. It seems to go through a fair bit of water too. I just hope the damage doesn't continue. It hasn't got any worse since then which is a good sign.
