Why is my tree dying

[rick_iles]

You could try reverse tape around tree might catch them. Or if your a smoker or know one keep the butts soak in water spray liquid on tree

Vinegar is suppose to do wonders in the world just don’t know what harm it may do to tree

Vinegar and water mix is deadly on weeds. I don’t think I’d spray a tree with it !

[js4fn]

Vinegar and water mix is deadly on weeds. I don’t think I’d spray a tree with it !

I know but someone needs to take one for the team!

[JoePa]

Blue spruce is a beautiful tree especially when it has that blue look to it - down here they don't advice you to plant them anymore because of a needle cast disease that is killing them all - I have a number of them in my yard and all of them are dying - there is a spray that you could use but it has to be used a couple times and if the tree is big it ain't easy - the Douglas fir trees are getting hit by the same needle cast disease and they are all dying - hope this disease doesn't end up in your neck of the woods -

[fratri]

It will kill them in no time if the concentration is high enough. I would rinse with fresh water withing 5 minutes to lessen the chance of burning the needles.

I went to have a look after work today, seems like a lot of them are still alive, maybe that water and soap mixture isnt strong enough to kill them, not sure.... Hoping it will come back to life one day.. Maybe I will spray it again tomorrow

[JBen]

For weeds It’s vinegar, epsom salt, dish soap. The acid and salt dry out the weeds. The soap acts as a binder. Doubt it will do anything to insects

There are places people go to grow weeds in the by, or veggies in the basement. They sell stuff to take care of varies insects from aphids, to spider mites etc. maybe it will help?

Found this.
https://www.erin.ca/living-here/home...rty/gypsy-moth

[greatwhite]

Yeah I just use 2-4-D whole lot easier and for areas around the barn I use RoundUP Weather Max. Round Up is also great for weeding around the flower gardens

For weeds It’s vinegar, epsom salt, dish soap. The acid and salt dry out the weeds. The soap acts as a binder. Doubt it will do anything to insects

There are places people go to grow weeds in the by, or veggies in the basement. They sell stuff to take care of varies insects from aphids, to spider mites etc. maybe it will help?

Found this.
https://www.erin.ca/living-here/home...rty/gypsy-moth

[JBen]

My fiancé’s FiL was a landscaper, going to miss him. Very big name. Trimmer probably knows it.
He gave us a wee bit of the argeiculural grade, round up when we moved in, it was that overgrown/bad…

Have used vinegar/salt for years. It works. Not as well, but nowhere near as toxic

me, I have hate on for Emerald Ash. I’m in the process of taking down/out 12 large ash trees around our house and the neighbors. Good thing my neighbors son is an arborist with H1

[greatwhite]

You mix at a rate of 150 ml per 8 litres of water, same for the 2-4-D.

[smitty55]

I went to have a look after work today, seems like a lot of them are still alive, maybe that water and soap mixture isnt strong enough to kill them, not sure.... Hoping it will come back to life one day.. Maybe I will spray it again tomorrow

Frank if they are on that tree there should be others around you can test the spray on, it never takes very long at all. I have always use the Dawn ultra and when we had the tent caterpillar invasion here maybe 6 years back I figured out how much of a good blue tinge I needed to kill them very quickly. I also had tons of forest tent caterpillars here too, so there was also tons of masses on the trunks of maples around the property that I needed to put down hard and quick from a distance. I tried the ultra 4x for the first time today and I made it a bit milder it turned out as the blue colour was a bit lighter. It worked fine as I can tell real quick by the ones on the foundation. Although they have slowed down big time here, now the buggers finally found my red current bush, good thing I checked today. So I walked all around the 5ft bush spraying as I went and the ones I could spot all got a direct spray, often on the undersides as well. Then I fan sprayed the bush too. I already had the hose handy so I didn't wait very long before it got a real thorough wash and rinse. That's the bush where I initially learned my lesson many years back when it got hit by sawfly larva, those things are quick and nasty. Spray worked great, they would drop instantly, likely way too strong for those wee critters. Next day all the leaves that were left were kinda burnt and the berry crop was poor. I have tall ferns on the north and east end as foundation plantings and in many spots where they touch the foundation the tips are all burnt from me spraying above them many times a day at their peak. Then I spray the foundation down with the hose to clear all the dead ones off and knock any climbing up the siding and the rain gutters too. Then of course there's the shed and my three apple trees in particular that get a pile of hose time daily to physically knock the down.

Good luck with it. Unfortunately conifers aren't prone to regrowing needles lost like deciduous trees can after defoliation. If it gets bad enough an option might be to do some pruning to encourage new growth. You should post some pics Cheers

[fratri]

Frank if they are on that tree there should be others around you can test the spray on, it never takes very long at all. I have always use the Dawn ultra and when we had the tent caterpillar invasion here maybe 6 years back I figured out how much of a good blue tinge I needed to kill them very quickly. I also had tons of forest tent caterpillars here too, so there was also tons of masses on the trunks of maples around the property that I needed to put down hard and quick from a distance. I tried the ultra 4x for the first time today and I made it a bit milder it turned out as the blue colour was a bit lighter. It worked fine as I can tell real quick by the ones on the foundation. Although they have slowed down big time here, now the buggers finally found my red current bush, good thing I checked today. So I walked all around the 5ft bush spraying as I went and the ones I could spot all got a direct spray, often on the undersides as well. Then I fan sprayed the bush too. I already had the hose handy so I didn't wait very long before it got a real thorough wash and rinse. That's the bush where I initially learned my lesson many years back when it got hit by sawfly larva, those things are quick and nasty. Spray worked great, they would drop instantly, likely way too strong for those wee critters. Next day all the leaves that were left were kinda burnt and the berry crop was poor. I have tall ferns on the north and east end as foundation plantings and in many spots where they touch the foundation the tips are all burnt from me spraying above them many times a day at their peak. Then I spray the foundation down with the hose to clear all the dead ones off and knock any climbing up the siding and the rain gutters too. Then of course there's the shed and my three apple trees in particular that get a pile of hose time daily to physically knock the down.

Good luck with it. Unfortunately conifers aren't prone to regrowing needles lost like deciduous trees can after defoliation. If it gets bad enough an option might be to do some pruning to encourage new growth. You should post some pics Cheers

I will try a little stronger dawn ratio (1/2 cup per gallon?) today and see if that can do the trick. Pruning might be an issue for me (no real talent at that) but will give it a try in the next few days/week.