Question
My beautiful Arborvitaes are dying because of something my neighbor has put on them.  What could he have done to kill my plants?

Answer
Dear Sharon,

I'm "Coach Dave" and I work for The Home Depot. I deal with many plant questions, however I can honestly say I haven't had this question before.

In terms of what can kill Arborvitaes, there are many chemicals that can kill them.  Also remember, that there are natural reasons this could have happened. Pest's like spider mites are usually the culprit that kill Arborvitaes. To see if this is the reason, shake some branches above a piece of white paper.  If you see some small dark red bugs crawling, you have Spider Mites, and this is a natural pest controlled with miticide available at The Home Depot.

If someone wanted to kill a shrub, then something like Motor Oil or Total Kill(Triox) vegetation killer could do it. Some people mistake these for insecticides so perhaps this is something that could have happened.

To counter any chemical poisoning on plants, first take a shovel and remove as much soil around the plant. Make sure you dispose of the soil properly and don't infect another plant in your yard.

Next you can flood the area with water to dilute whatever chemical might have been added to the soil.

Lastly, replace soil with untainted soil from another part of the yard. You can purchase soil from The Home Depot like Kellogg's or Scott's soil to add nutrients to help the Arborvitae.

I hope this helps you with your questions regarding Arborvitae.

Yours Respectfully,

Coach Dave