We planted my son’s first Christmas tree last year, it is a…

I see it. Give m e a minute

When you see lower branches of a blue spruce drying and dying, you should expect the worst. The main cause of drying of lower branches is cytospora canker. The fungus behind the disease lives under the bark and destroys vessels that supply nutrients and water to the branches.

When nutrients and water supplies are cut, the branches will dry out and eventually die. The condition worsens with time and moves up the tree. The tree will die after several years. White sap on the branches or trunk is another indicator of the disease.

This fungal disease usually affects mature spruce trees, mostly those older than 15 years. The disease is common when trees are planted too close to each other. Also, high moisture can stress trees which in turn make the trees weak and they will be more susceptible to disease.

Cytospora canker has no cure, but you can manage it through pruning. When pruning, you have to disinfect the pruning knife and the pruning cuts. Also, you have to get rid of the infected branches and needles in the right way as they may carry the fungus spores. You can also remove the infected trees and replace them with a different kind.

Trees damaged by drought don't show any of these symptoms. Often the first sign of trouble is a change in needle color, from a healthy medium green to light green, followed quickly by light pinkish-tan before the needles fall. In early stages, only the newest growth at branch tips may be affected, but as drought continues entire branches or whole trees may die. Affected branches can be located anywhere within the tree- top, middle, or bottom- and may be spaced randomly throughout it.

Do you have a tree/garden nursery that you can call?