FlowerPot87
19-09-2009, 10:15
Hi everyone,
Haven’t posted on here before, but wondered if anyone could offer me a little advice on my conifer tree, which is looking a little worse for wear at the moment! :(. It’s around 3.5ft in height and has always been a lovely rich green colour, and then a few months ago it started to turn a copper brown shade, and now almost all of the green has disappeared.
I’ve recently noticed that a lot of birds have been attracted to it, and seem to be nibbling at something on the tree (this happens a few times a week). We have had a big ant problem too in my home and garden. I’ve managed to drive them out of the house using garlic cloves, but they can still be seen in the garden (which is probably attracting the birds too).
There are a *few* green sprigs left on the tree, so I'm hopeful that I can do something to save it. It was planted over 20 years ago by my grandmother, who has now passed away, so it has a lot of sentimental value.
I contacted a very helpful soil expert online and this is what he had to say on the matter:
“Most conifers only produce growth on new wood. If all the needles are gone, it's not likely to recover. Take a sample to your local garden center. They should be able to tell if it was insects, disease or something else that caused it to brown. If there is any green left, you may be able to salvage part of the plant, but we need to know the cause to find a cure. Garlic [to deter ants] will not hurt the tree, but the ants didn't either. Ants are usually problem indicators. Ants will climb plants to feed off the honeydew secreted by aphids and scale insects. They also will feed off sap that might be leaking from a canker. So when you see ants on a plant, look for another problem. Spider mites, bud moths, bark beetles and bagworms are the first things I look for on conifers. Pin holes in the trunk and beads of sap are indicators of bark beetles. If they do enough damage to the cambium, the plant will die. Excessive summer moisture can kill some conifers. Indirect, nearby lightning strikes can cause the damage. That's why I think you should take a sample to a local expert to get you started with a fix. Look the plant over carefully for anything that doesn't look right. Take pictures or samples with you. The more information you have, the easier it is to figure out the cause and the cure. Jim”
All needles are in the conifer, the tree is very ‘full’, it is just the colour which has disappeared. The nearest garden centre to me (I believe) is Homebase in Wakefield. I’m not even sure that they have an in-house garden expert there, so I wondered if anyone here could suggest a reputable garden centre / local expert who could help me with this problem?? Alternatively, if anyone has had a similar experience or knows a good treatment for this problem, I’d love to hear any suggestions!!
Thanks! :)
Haven’t posted on here before, but wondered if anyone could offer me a little advice on my conifer tree, which is looking a little worse for wear at the moment! :(. It’s around 3.5ft in height and has always been a lovely rich green colour, and then a few months ago it started to turn a copper brown shade, and now almost all of the green has disappeared.
I’ve recently noticed that a lot of birds have been attracted to it, and seem to be nibbling at something on the tree (this happens a few times a week). We have had a big ant problem too in my home and garden. I’ve managed to drive them out of the house using garlic cloves, but they can still be seen in the garden (which is probably attracting the birds too).
There are a *few* green sprigs left on the tree, so I'm hopeful that I can do something to save it. It was planted over 20 years ago by my grandmother, who has now passed away, so it has a lot of sentimental value.
I contacted a very helpful soil expert online and this is what he had to say on the matter:
“Most conifers only produce growth on new wood. If all the needles are gone, it's not likely to recover. Take a sample to your local garden center. They should be able to tell if it was insects, disease or something else that caused it to brown. If there is any green left, you may be able to salvage part of the plant, but we need to know the cause to find a cure. Garlic [to deter ants] will not hurt the tree, but the ants didn't either. Ants are usually problem indicators. Ants will climb plants to feed off the honeydew secreted by aphids and scale insects. They also will feed off sap that might be leaking from a canker. So when you see ants on a plant, look for another problem. Spider mites, bud moths, bark beetles and bagworms are the first things I look for on conifers. Pin holes in the trunk and beads of sap are indicators of bark beetles. If they do enough damage to the cambium, the plant will die. Excessive summer moisture can kill some conifers. Indirect, nearby lightning strikes can cause the damage. That's why I think you should take a sample to a local expert to get you started with a fix. Look the plant over carefully for anything that doesn't look right. Take pictures or samples with you. The more information you have, the easier it is to figure out the cause and the cure. Jim”
All needles are in the conifer, the tree is very ‘full’, it is just the colour which has disappeared. The nearest garden centre to me (I believe) is Homebase in Wakefield. I’m not even sure that they have an in-house garden expert there, so I wondered if anyone here could suggest a reputable garden centre / local expert who could help me with this problem?? Alternatively, if anyone has had a similar experience or knows a good treatment for this problem, I’d love to hear any suggestions!!
Thanks! :)