Any irrigation to the tree?

When was it planted?

Without irrigation, even if well established, the tree has a very limited root run. And LOTS and LOTS of reflected heat. Without supplemental water,likely it was already struggling and the most recent heat wave delivered the final blow.

It's been there since Spring of 2008. It's possible it got overheated and dry, but I've only had to water the yard only a few times this year. We had a pretty wet spring and then again recently. It was looking discolored probably before it got real hot. Yeah, it is surrounded by concrete, that bakes it, and I guess it limits it's root growth outward.

It's too big for that space anyway- time to find something better suited.

To small for that space? Or did you mean too big? Of course, I'll have to replace both of them as they are twins.

I'm thinking they will be replaced with a pair of these vertical holly's. (hmmm, pictures won't work on replies??)

what did you spray with ... mites have specific remedies ...

regardless ... whatever you sprayed.. will not make brown needles recover ... put on a glove.. and massge them off .. i already see a skirt of dead needles ...

the future is all in the buds... can you see any viable buds on the tips ... if so.. it might recover with next spring flush ... the question would be.. do you want to look at it for a year.. not looking all that great ...

it is too big for the spot .... i dont understand why the cement dudes leave those impossible spots to plant ...

dont know where you are.. but in my MI ... that is also what winter burn looks like ...

note that the one closer to the fence.. is fine.. and in a different micro climate than this one ...also note.. both are starting to lean/grow away from the garage .. indicating.. they were planted too close to it ...

i would get rid of it ... if it were out back on the acres.. who cares ... but right here.. it would bug me no end ...

it is Picea glauca 'conica' ... aka dwarf alberta spruce ....

i would think about a trellis.. and maybe a clematis or something ... a plant like that.. wouldnt mind the small foot print ...

ken

Thank you Ken for the great feedback. I sprayed it with Ortho Home Defense, thinking the general insecticide would take care of it (if it was spider mites). I'm in MO, but I doubt it was winter burn, as most of this damage has occurred this season. I think I'll replace them with a few of this holly Potential Replacement that I have in another place in my yard that has remained very vertical and yet compact. I'm wanting something narrow and tall to mitigate the tallness of the garage. (since picture wouldn't post of the holly above, let's see if a link works).

Thanks gardengal! I think that was my thought when I planted them, that I knew they would eventually outgrow it and have to be replaced, thanks for validating my logic. Your comments about the holly are curious, it's grown very little since I've planted it.

We need more of us to read gardengal's breakdown of the differences between insecticides and miticides. Sounds from the narrative like maybe OP here bought and applied an insecticide for what might be a spider mite problem . Not only is that not going to work, but like she says, can often make matters worse by killing off the mite's natural enemies, whatever they may be. If you have a confirmed spider mite problem, use products intended for that purpose, not general-purpose "bug killer".

Ortho home defense doesn't sound like a formulation to use on plants. If I looked at the right label on line it says don't use on plants.

And, what are some miticide products as an example?

heyyyy .. i was the one who pointed out .. lol .. gal just slam dunked it ...

you said: I doubt it was winter burn, as most of this damage has occurred this season.

==>>> things happen slow on evergreens .... though you are probably right.. you cant rule winter damage ... i know parts of MO are z5 ...

what MIGHT happen.. is a cold wave... the cement heats up .. and the plant goes in and out of cold weather.. throw in some cold wind .. etc .. and you end up with some minor damage.. but the EVERgreen ... doesnt brown out. until the heat of summer ...

the hardest thing for me to contemplate ... when i started collecting conifers.. was the cause and the effect can be months or years apart ... i call that.. tree time ... yet when we try to figure it out.. we dont think of injury months.. or a season ago or so ...

just some learning.. hope it didnt hurt too much .... lol

you really need to step outside your box .. and think up options outside of shrubs or conifers ... hence the trellis idea ...

ken

pennlake: Home Defense was clearly not the solution here (if it was a mite problem), but I just reviewed the label, and the only precaution I see regarding plants is to not spray flowering plants as it will kill the bees.

It looks like drought, or possibly fertilizer burn. Have you used fertilizer? No matter what the problem is, replacement is the solution. The space is too small for this plant. Maybe something smaller like rhamnus fine line. Maybe something smaller than a shrub, like liriope 'variegata' or daylily 'stella'.

I don't think it's practical to offer ideas of what to plant when one doesn't even know where the OP lives.

Especially plant suggestions emanating from Mr. Johnson :-) Rhamnus is considered an invasive species across much of the midwest, is not evergreen and grows waaaay faster than DAS!! At least you will get 7-10 years from a DAS before needing to be replaced compared to only 2 or 3 from the rhamnus

Your better local independent garden center should carry miticides. Otherwise, horticultural oils - like Neem, Safer's BioNeem or Bonide's All Season Horticultural Spray - are very effective. And showering the plant off regularly with a strong stream of water will not only dislodge the critters but make it an unwelcome place to set up housekeeping, often to the point where no other treatment is necessary.

'Fine Line' is a sterile plant, not contributing to the invasiveness of most rhamnus species. The invasiveness also depends on where you are located, rhamnus is not invasive here in north carolina. While it isn't an evergreen, it provides unique fall color and an upright/compact growth habit.

'Fine Line' is not a bad recommendation for that location. It is sterile. The main problem with mine for the past few years is that it is the preferred food of Japanese beetles (along with Hydrangea sargentiana for some reason) and looks pretty awful by mid-summer. So, as with this Alberta Spruce, you'd possibly be dealing with something that needs to be treated to look acceptable.

Fine Line is deciduous and looks awful in winter, too.

Although that is your opinion, I think it looks nice with Christmas lights strung up it in the winter.

I found the perfect solution for this problem, I posted it on this forum last year:previous post

OK, so I know Ron Williams, the guy that developed the 'Fine Line' Rhamnus introduction, and ever since I heard he had introduced a new shrub to the industry, I've been literally standing here with my hands around his throat, waiting to hear some feedback from you dear folks about his introduction....to know whether or not to start choking him. Sounds like the choking shall begin. And really, I hardly ever choke people to death! Just what the world really didn't need, another version of buckthorn! Gal, you and I have had this (fake) fight already, so no need to revive. For the rest of ye, I really do know the guy, he's made quite a number of introductions-roses, hostas, etc. and then this thing.

Not sure I get your point, tom. I don't believe there is any proven account of it self-seeding. Aesthetics are obviously subjective (!) - I can actually see how in the gardens of Northern California, where the "base note" is evergreen and broadleaved - 'Fine Line' might look 'awful' in winter. To some people. I do not believe that at all, and would not have something 'awful' looking in a highly visible spot in my garden. Here, there are whole yards of nothing but dead twigs in winter. As I've joked before, there's some low, philistine class of person on the east coast who seem intent on removing all BLEs from their yard, as though they are too pagan looking or something. So 'Fine Line' certainly doesn't stand out. Although I will admit that after 10 years, I am thinking about cutting it down to the ground for a regeneration. It's too fat...not really a 'Fine Line' anymore. And I need to treat it in advance for Japanese beetles. It is ugly in *summer* if it is partly defoliated!

The effect of the fall color and thin foliage, like yellow tufts of gift wrapping ribbon, is quite charming. And again, maybe it has a more prolonged or pronounced display here than it does in Norcal or various other climates.

Hoohoohaha, Logan's remedy is Xmas lights! So funny...pitiful, but funny!

I have lots of deciduous trees and shrubs and don't mind twigs in winter. This one is just ungainly. It doesn't have a particularly nice shape and lacks structure or interesting color. I suspect that it looks better elsewhere. I had about 5-6 of them and finally just took them out because they never looked nice. I didn't get much fall color - sounds like you have had better luck with it than I have.