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arborvitae

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From: Brian Schulz City: Elk Grove, IL
I planted 15 arborvitae 1 year ago fall. Watered them into late fall and watered regularly throughout the summer. They looked great. I had them slightly trimmed 2 weeks ago (1st of October). They now have brown coming from the center and more pronounced where they used to touch and were trimmed back. I plan on watering one more time before putting the hose away and I will fertilize for the 1st time in the early spring. Is this browning normal as a result of trimming and season change?
	Extension Message From: Richard Hentschel Extension Educator, Horticulture DuPage/Kane/Kendall Unit hentsche@illinois.edu
All needle evergreens will lose a complete set of needles annually and that is normal. Needles are lost from the inside out as the tree grows in size. Depending on how they are trimmed, those browning needles can be more visible. Continue to water them regularly and they now are old enough to be fed annually if desired.
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