wrong with blue spruce? It’s done great for four years and now it’s losing needles like crazy

Question: Our blue spruce has done very well for four years and now all of a sudden is dropping leaves from the main part of the stem and you can now see through the tree. Can you tell us what might be happening?

responder: Kind Regards,  Replied July 15, 2024, 3:54 PM EDT
response: Hi Alex, We're happy to help.  Based on the picture you sent, the good news is that you appear to have healthy new growth (at the tips of the branches).  However, to dig deeper,  would you provide additional information?  Could you send us a picture or two that shows the whole tree and any surrounding structures?    Also, could you help with the following information: Where are you located? Town or zip code? When was the spruce planted and where is it located (east, west, etc.)? Can you describe your watering process for summer and winter? Do you use any fertilizer or herbicides, pesticides nearby?  And last, if you have other plants, grass or trees in this area, how are they looking right now?

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 15, 2024, 5:46 PM EDT
response: Hi!  Thank you so much for the help. We deeply winter watered every month and a half. We have a drip line on the tree. Photos below will show the tree and the pergola next to it. It’s been there for three years. We are in Parker, zip 80135. Our back yard faces south and in the photo I am pointing due west.   My husband used fertilizer in the grass but the dispenser had an edge guard so he’s pretty confident no fertilizer got there. Everything around the tree is thriving - the hops, honeysuckle, trumpet vines and daisies in the same area are all in the same drip lines and are doing wonderfully.   Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks again!  AlexA l e x a n d r i a   L a P r e e<personal data hidden> 3 0 3 . 7 1 8 . 7 8 1 8 Sent from my iPhone    On Jul 15, 2024, at 1:54 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:   ﻿

responder: Kind Regards,  Replied July 15, 2024, 6:16 PM EDT
response: Thanks Alex, It appears that the pictures did not attach, could you please resend them?    Also, thanks for the answers to the previous questions--it's terrific that you are winter watering!!   In looking at the first photo, in spite of some new growth, the yellowing and loss of older needles does indicate that the tree is stressed.  The stress could be caused by multiple factors and having the additional photos could help.    In the meantime, a few more questions has any broad leaf herbicide been used on the surrounding grass or area around the tree?  Tree roots will extend into the surrounding area and could be impacted regarding the drip line that's supporting the tree, it's helpful to eliminate any drip line problems.  Approximately how much water is the tree getting?  Could you check the dirt in several places under the tree canopy?  If you place your finger into the dirt a few inches, how moist or dry is it?  You can also measure the water by placing some small cups (like Dixie cup size) in various places under the tree and measure the water after a watering cycle.   If the needles are dropping from the main part of the stem, do you see anything unusual?  If so, could you also send a picture of the stems?

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 15, 2024, 6:52 PM EDT
response: No roundup type use anywhere in the yard. My husband say the drip line has 3 pinholes and it gets watered underground 8 minutes twice a day. I’ll go feel the dirt. A  A l e x a n d r i a   L a P r e eL A P R E E  +  A S S O C I A T E S <personal data hidden> 3 0 3 . 7 1 8 . 7 8 1 8 Sent from my iPhone    On Jul 15, 2024, at 4:16 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:   ﻿

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 16, 2024, 3:05 PM EDT
response: Hi, I just felt the dirt and it’s quite wet all around the tree. It’s soaker lines. It looks so sad today!  AlexA l e x a n d r i a  L a P r e e<personal data hidden>3 0 3 . 7 1 8 . 7 8 1 8  On Jul 15, 2024, at 4:44 PM, Alexandria LaPree <<personal data hidden>> wrote: No roundup type use anywhere in the yard. My husband say the drip line has 3 pinholes and it gets watered underground 8 minutes twice a day. I’ll go feel the dirt. A  <image2.jpeg><image3.jpeg><image4.jpeg><image5.jpeg>A l e x a n d r i a   L a P r e eL A P R E E  +  A S S O C I A T E S <personal data hidden> 3 0 3 . 7 1 8 . 7 8 1 8 Sent from my iPhone    On Jul 15, 2024, at 4:16 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:   ﻿

responder: Kind Regards,  Replied July 17, 2024, 10:51 AM EDT
response: Hi Alex,  The tree's stress could be due to over watering. Blue Spruce like lots of water, but only in very well draining soil. The soil in Parker has a lot of clay, and holds onto its water a little too well. We suggest cutting down the water to a point where the soil is drying out a bit between waterings. Start with every three days and see if that is enough to let the soil dry. Even the other plants should do well with water only every 3-4 days.   Look at the bark and branches to see if there are any cankers, which will look like little lesions weeping sap. There is something called Cytospora canker which stressed trees are susceptible too, which could be another part of the equation. The overwatering could lead the tree to be vulnerable to these cankers. I've attached a link with more information on Cytospora canker.  https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/cytospora-canker#:~:text=Cytospora%20canker%20is%20most%20common,%2Dbrown%2C%20then%20fall%20off.  Please reach out if you have any further questions!