What’s causing my beautiful Evergreen to turn brownish red? - Ask Extension
We just noticed today that our Evergreen, we think it’s a Black Hills Spruce, has turned a brownish red in several places. We walk our yard a lot, i...
Knowledgebase
What’s causing my beautiful Evergreen to turn brownish red? #872087
Asked June 07, 2024, 2:04 PM EDT
We just noticed today that our Evergreen, we think it’s a Black Hills Spruce, has turned a brownish red in several places. We walk our yard a lot, it is pretty brown and red on about half of the tree. The other half is mostly green but if you look at the deep branches, you can see the red brown color there too. We are not seeing anything that looks like insects. The other big evergreens near it, look healthy any advice or suggestion that we could do to help our tree, would be greatly appreciated.
Mason County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello
Is this all on one side? ( if so, what exposure is it, West? South? etc.)
Have any fertilizers or other treatments been applied within 50 feet of the tree?
Do lawn sprinklers hit the parts of the tree that show this color?
Is this all on one side? ( if so, what exposure is it, West? South? etc.)
Have any fertilizers or other treatments been applied within 50 feet of the tree?
Do lawn sprinklers hit the parts of the tree that show this color?
Hello,
We are pretty sure the trees damaged was caused by fertilizer. We have talked to the person that usually does fertilize our yard. We trimmed a lot of the dead branches of the tree. I don’t know if there’s anything else we can do. It doesn’t seem like it’s getting any worse. He said our yard wasn’t fertilized until May 15.
Thanks!
Hello again,
I am sending you a couple bulletins about this type injury, which have recommendations on what you can do for the trees.
https://turf.purdue.edu/herbicide-damage-on-spruce-and-pine/
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/herbicide-damage-trees-and-shrubs/
A suggestion: So that lawn chemicals don’t have to be applied up to the dripline of trees, your most important trees could be mulched out a few feet all the way around them (removing a circle of grass first) giving a “buffer zone” which may help in future. See the pictures here for some examples.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/do-i-have-to-fertilize-my-shrubs-and-trees/
If using this technique do not let mulch pile again the trunks, and do not let fresh mulch touch the foliageon lower branches.
I am sending you a couple bulletins about this type injury, which have recommendations on what you can do for the trees.
https://turf.purdue.edu/herbicide-damage-on-spruce-and-pine/
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/herbicide-damage-trees-and-shrubs/
A suggestion: So that lawn chemicals don’t have to be applied up to the dripline of trees, your most important trees could be mulched out a few feet all the way around them (removing a circle of grass first) giving a “buffer zone” which may help in future. See the pictures here for some examples.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/do-i-have-to-fertilize-my-shrubs-and-trees/
If using this technique do not let mulch pile again the trunks, and do not let fresh mulch touch the foliageon lower branches.
