based on the location of the damage... two things come to mind ...

dingoes ...lol.. wild or domestic.. but i would think that would have crossed your mind ... if you owned a dog ... or a neighbor ...

second would be digging damage when a field grown specimen was dug out ... a ball and burlap plant ....depending on how long you have had it.. minor damage could take a winter or two to fail ...

i also wonder if there is any relation to snow cover ....

regardless ... if you prune back to live growth... the slight hole will disappear ... in tree time.. soon enough ...

ken

Sawfly larvae?

Is there a possibility there is some type of cold hardy Insect active this time of year in our zone?

Whats boggling my mind is that there aren’t needles on the ground or any browning needles.

I looked past it when it happened llast year but why the hell is it happening again during the exact time when the grass is starting to green.

I planted as 4’ b&b 3 years ago.

Its about 7’ now.

Help solve the mystery of the disappearing green needles! I’ll like your comment if you do.

How high off the ground is the damage, Will? Bunnies destroyed my baby Gold Drift, stripping off every single needle. (They did not eat the buds.) They started in on a baby Picea omorika too before I got smart enough to cage it. I told the big brown dog I was going to fire her if she didn’t start chasing rabbits.

'There is much insect activity at this point.'

Sorry, I misunderstood.

Sounds like a small version of “dead green standing”. Likely what killed the needles happened late fall or early winter and they dropped as the weather warmed. As for disappearing, did you notice this after the 50 mph wind gusts we had recently?

tj

Igg, thats a good point as I have seen the little ones does this but it does go up 3-4'.

Bill, no worries Sawflies would have been #1 possiblity later in the year.

Tj, I thought that as well last year when this happended ecspecially with the cold we had. But now for the exact same thing to happen this year after a milder winter just doesn't make sense. If this continues it could be problematic. This is a very important screening spruce.

I even took out the loupe you gave me a several years ago and I'm not spotting anything with the exception of a couple random white spots but they are so tiny and on't have any interesting features. Then a few of the needles are brown at the very tip of the needle - like a 1/16".

Spin the wheel....that's a symptom for a number of possible ailments.
The last time I had something like that was a mite issue.

Is it possible the roots stay wet all winter? Planted low...settled...poor drainage? Then gets hit w desiccating winds?
You may have 2 issues...
Something that stresses the tree...
That in turn attracts mites,insects etc.

Just throwing out some thoughts...

Mites where my first thought but the greens needles is the mystery.

Don't they usually turn brown and then fall?

All good thoughts but planted at correct height and really nice quality soil with good drainage.

I sprayed it with an organic inscect killer last week as I'm at a loss. I watched it throughout the year last year and never found any issues.

Do you have deer? They could be munching or rubbing antlers.

no Will, don't believe that....
I've seen conifers w mites that if you flicked a branch with your finger it would rain with green needles...blue...whatever...
Maybe the wind shook them out of the tree for you?

I would hold off random spraying anymore in hopes of getting a proper I'd.

again, just thinking out loud

or spray with green spray paint

Here you go Will.......
This is what mites left me.....
Look familiar?
While this was going on there was all the green needles you wanted on the ground.
.

Here's another wounded soldier the mites left me.....
again ample green needles on the ground . I didn't need the white paper test. I could give a little shake and see them in the palm of my hand start walking teensy little mites.
Not saying that's your issue.....just trying to get you unhooked on mite issues only produce brown needle results......Had I not spotted and cleaned up, yes all needles on the ground will brown up

Ok thats the most plausible cause at this point. I doled out the like!

I have some of this condition on my 'Frohburg' where it is touching ground

I assumed it was fungal related

ron

Where are you located? Spruces though out northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania are dying from a fungus. It causes needle cast. I have been trying to save my trees but not sure they will make it. It is also affecting weeping Cyprus.

whaas from wiz