I have an Alberta Spruce that has shed half of it's foliage. It looks like "pac-man" took a bite. Is there anything I can do to repair the missing area? Your help is much appreciated.
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Mit from OH
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I would take a picture and some sample foliage into a local nursery and ask them. Sounds like a fungus or other issue that needs treatment.
It could be winterkill, which means it was not watered deeply enough before the dry winter season. It could also be a disease. Either way, it most likely won't grow back so prune until you get to live wood.
All evergreen trees require nutrients, just like our lawns and flowers. You can often find fertilizer spikes specifically for evergreens at the garden centre (I like the Jobe's brand, WalMart here in Canada sells them). You put them under the drip line of the tree (where the furthest branches reach) and hammer them in to the ground. I believe that evergreens also need copper as a nutrient, not that you want to feed pennies to your trees (not very thrifty) but you might want to amend your soil with organic mulch or manure. I actually live in Alberta, which is zone 3 so maybe your climate is too mild (LOL!). A use for the dropped needles is to add them to your strawberries, it makes them taste more like wild strawberries. Good luck!
The top third of my alberta spruce is turning brown and losing needles. The bottom two thirds is green with new growth. The tree is about 4 years old and healthy until now. What can I do?
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