View Messages

Return to Trees & Shrubs

Arborvitaes turning brown

[Post a Follow Up] [Post to this category]
From: Jeff Gieske City: Spring Lake, MI
All our established bushes are turning brown. When you shake the branches lots of brown needles fall along with fine black specks and a few small bugs (one small worm).The bushes are thinning tremendously. Is this a fungus or bug problem?
	Extension Message From: Richard Hentschel Extension Educator, Horticulture DuPage/Kane/Kendall Unit hentsche@illinois.edu
Needled evergreens naturally lose on set of needles each year, as the current season needles expand and grow. this happens at some point during the growing season. Any plant will host a wide group of insects during the season, most are not destructive. I suggest contacting your local county extension service who would have a more focused local assessment of what is happening. Insects can be indentifed along with symptoms and possibly signs of a disease.
[Post a Follow Up] [Post to this category]