you might be right , tom ,my fat albert ain't looken so good

ron

Last year my blue spruce got hit hard for the first time, they now have a skirt of dead branches about 6' high. If I get the time, I'll make a one time application of Husqvarna. I planted them, against my better judgement, for my late wife, but they are just downright ugly now. My Norways are pristine.

Are you in balsam country? I'd read that this year was going to be a banner year for budworms.

Lots of N spruces around to look at, and I don't remember seeing any w/the needle diseases of some other spruce species.

Thanks fellas. Kentrees-yes, the "Husqvarna" is sometimes the best option, lol! I hear tell that a round of "Stihl" works well also.

Beng, at a workshop recently, our state plant pathologist agreed with the assertion I made above-that NS is far and away the most resistant spruce to this constellation of problems. And to my relief, he and the Professor of Horticulture lady that always gives talks at these things did not try to push 'Black Hills" as an acceptable substitute, these two highly-educated people finally agreeing that it too is succumbing to all the same stuff. Nevre liked that tree, and especially in a state where white spruce is alreadyd native, it always struck me as wrong-headed to be purposely selecting a dryland variant.

Not quite in the balsam fir zone here in A-town, but up where my land is, it is common. And I too have read reports of a bad spruce budworm year, that insect actually preying on balsam fir more heavily than spruce. At least with that one, you can say it is a native pest, not some intruder from Asia or somewhere with no history or natural enemies.

I decided the Spruce decline thread needed a pic. Here's my spruce that's awaiting hubby to get out the Husqvarna for the one time application, sigh...and many thanks to all for the great discussions on this board which kept me from throwing good $ away.

Sorry to have to put it this way...but good. I'm glad they are failing as far north as WI. Maybe the stupid greedy wholesale nursery industry will stop promoting them for the eastern half of the country.

David, as long as they grow a few yrs and everybody goes "Oooo, look how blue it is!", they'll keep being sold.