QuestionWe live in north central Florida, near Gainesville. We have a Deodar about 12 years old, about 30 feet tall. It has about a 10-12 foot spread at the base,and trunk diameter of roughly 6-8 inches. Our problem is that within the past month or so the upper 2/3 of the branches are rapidly turning brown and losing needles. We have found no superficial indication of canker nor any bug infestation, no webs etc.
We would really hate to lose this beautiful tree, so any help you can give us will be greatly appreciated.
Art and Edda Ross
Answer Dear Art and Edda,
Hey, I'm Coach Dave,I work for The Home Depot in California and I think I can help.
You stated that you didn't suspect insects, but spider mites can cause branch die back and they aren抰 affected by typical insecticides(they抮e mites).Test for mites by shaking an affected branch over a white sheet of paper to collect samples of what抯 on that branch. Watch for movement among the samples: mites will crawl across the paper. If found, treat with products labeled for mites.
If there is no infestation, I suspect a root problem. Roots can become damaged by various means, such as animals digging and chewing, chemical contamination, severe dry or severe wet conditions. Check the soil conditions around the tree to determine which is most likely. In sandy soil trees tend to dry out, but wet feet also rot roots. If wet, remove mulch and prune lower branches to improve air circulation. If dry, water more or add mulch to hold onto moisture.
Give me an update so we can make sure everything is going the right way.
Photos are a great help too.
This is Coach Dave signing off,
"I'm a Home Depot Store Associate,trained and authorized to help people on the Internet".
