Emerald Green Arborvite turning brown
pennymsm
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I have a row of Emerald Green Arborvites that I planted 16 years ago. Until now, there has never been a problem. All have been very healthy and growing rapidly. One of the bushes has now started to turn brown from the top down. I have no idea what is causing it or if it will spread to the other bushes. We have had plenty of rain this summer, perhaps too much. Weather has been nuts, cold, heat wave, cold, etc. Can anyone tell me what this is or how to save it? As you can see by the pics, the front of the three heads of that bush is still unaffected.
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alley_cat_gw_7b
2 years ago
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Thuja Emerald Green occidentalis arborvitae dying?
Comments (4)lol /... the heat of summer has hit ... this is common ... i mean.. thats when the problems show ... dig a 3 to 6 inch hole.. near the root mass planted.. AND FIND OUT if its wet or dry not only in the soil around.. but in the root mass planted... i suspect you are guessing at a watering protocol ... once you find out ... then adjust accordingly ... soaker hose is carp ... but it is usually a problem at the far end of the run ... in this case ... a middle one ... i suspect the digging of the large transplant cut off too many roots .. not that it will die.. its just struggling more than the others ... but it might die ... perfect watering.. and the rest should live.. then when we are sure the brown part is dead.. cut it out down low ... it will fill in.. but it might take a few years ... if you have a warranty... just replace it in fall when the temps drop ... nobody plants conifers in august ... in most areas of the country ... ken...See MoreHelp! Emerald Green shrubs are turning brown!
Comments (14)Thank you for your response. After researching, I’m positive they are bag worms too. The two trees that were surrounding the one I just removed, easily have over 100 bagworms on them. Everything I read last night says the best time to spray for them is between late May and early June but after July may be too late. I can remove all that I can reach but since their bags are less than 1/2” long and I can see some of them moving & feeding, maybe its not too late to spray? My trees are about 10’ tall and I have 34 of them so there’s a good possibility I will not be able to pull all bagwoms off. Any suggestions on sprays? I found this one but no real reviews on how it helped with bagworms. Thanks again for your help. It has been very surprising and super disappointing on how quickly destructive these things have been. (MO zone6)...See MoreEmerald Green Arborvitae / Brown Tips
Comments (7)Thuja are a titch more demanding than most trees in the fertilization department, being fast-growing, but don't generally require a specific fertilization. But it's certainly an option if the OP would want to. In my case, I pushed mine from three feet to twenty in eight years to cover a particularly obnoxious neighbor, but that was an exception to the general rules... Although I'd recommend a low-powered organic one and in smaller amounts due to the lower amount of space available and on the lower end of the pH scale due to the preferences of the family to begin with. As I think on it, pH can be an issue, but most Thuja adjust well and aren't that particular about it. Still, as noted, excessive salt additions not only add sodium but boost the pH toward the alkaline. Which can cause some spotty browning. It's not of any concern, and the standard fix (yellow sulfur) is generally ineffective. But it's another possibility. And the only way to be sure is, again, a formal soil test. The home ones aren't accurate enough to be sure. Off the cuff, a small amount of Holly-Tone or Milorganite (fairly neutral, but does contain plenty of iron sulfate, which is acidic and the sulfates happily locate calcium, magnesium, and sodium and bind to them and remove them as highly soluble salts) wouldn't be taken amiss. But, of course, it's absolutely optional. If all this were me? I'd be out there with a fine clippers removing the brown tips. Because I'm seriously that picky. Been there, done that on my Green Giants....See MoreEmerald Green Arborvitae- brown at bottom
Comments (4)They look in reasonably decent shape to me. You will often get some browning and/or loss of foliage at the base, primarily due to the topgrowth shading it out. Wall is probably not helping much either. As long as there is not a steady progression upwards, they should be fine. Winter burn - typically wind desiccation - is unlikely to be much of a factor in October, when this was posted. And I will refrain from commenting on the reliability of horticultural info presented by The Spruce or any of its garden writers except to say that there are much better sources....See Morepennymsm
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
Pen
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoI took some additional pics, including some closeup of the bush with the issue. By "three heads" yes I mean only one tip of a three headed bush seems to be affected. I could take it out if it's not going to recover and would like to ID it just to know whether this is something that will spread or not to the additional bushes. On the close up pic, I'm not sure if what I'm seeing is just shriveled up dead folliage or little pine coned things. . Any ideas of what those are and if it can be saved would be greatly appreciated. Location is coastal Connecticut.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
2 years ago
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agoPen
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoplantkiller_il_5
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
bengz6westmd
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoplantkiller_il_5
2 years ago
Ted
last year
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