Question
I抦 not sure what抯 causing the problem, but I have 2 evergreens that are relatively close to a busy street.  I think the winter brine mix used for snow and ice removal has splashed on the trees and caused the fronts of the trees to die. The back sides have new growth, but one of the 2 is looking pretty bad.  I抦 torn whether to cut the trees down since I see new growth.  Is there any way to promote new growth on the fronts of the trees during the summer?  If so then I would like to keep the trees and supply some sort of coverage for them during the winter months.

Thank you

Answer
Danielle,
This is a common problem with plants that are on the street. I would recommend that in the fall that you erect a burlap barrier- this will protect the plants against this type of damage.
As for recovery, fertilize them well and soak the ground around them- the road salts will still be in the soil and can cause further damage to the roots if not flushed through.
Good luck.
Ed Gulliksen