We have a Saskatoon plantation of approximately 100 bushes some of which are 25 years old. In the past two or three seasons they have gradually become less healthy. This year they're foliage is nearly nonexistent. They are planted near a roll of spruce trees, could the spruce trees have destroyed the fruit trees? The spruce trees have been in that spot for at least 15 years and are quite large.
There would not be any concern with the evergreens. This is likely a disease or pest issue.
These links may help you.
https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex811
http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/publishing/pdf/BUL/BUL0866.pdf
Do either of these evergreen trees drip sap from their needles?
Yes it's possible, especially from the cedar and often from the cones, which could drip down onto the needles. Dripping could also be due to an insect pest like giant conifer aphids exuding 'honeydew'.
Planted in late winter. Spring arrives and tree blooms and doing fine. June comes and goes and a little dry but tender loving care and water, tree is loving life. July comes and the middle comes with 10 cloudy days and rain. Every thing starts to go wrong. Branch tips start to die . August - cutting dead branches off, can't seem to stop the spreading doom. Tree totally dead by Labor day. What did I did wrong? Planning to buy a larger maybe 5ft. size late this month. Plant bare root or use dirt with tree? please help me.
Spruce needle rust is a possibility. Sometimes the tree can overcome the infection, but other times not. By the time symptoms are noticed, it is too late to save it.
Another possibility is root rot due to poorly drained soil and overabundance of moisture.
I would have a discussion with the local extension agent who could give you a definitive diagnosis as to whether it is cultural or disease.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/spruce/spruce-needle-rust-control.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/colorado-blue-spruce/care-for-colorado-spruce.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/pine/pine-tree-drying-bottom.htm
I would like to add some low flowering plants to the mulch garden but we get an incredibly amount of spruce needles. What plants do you suggest
It will be very difficult to find something that will go well under pines, since they are allelopathic. This means that they tend to kill any plants around its, immediate, area.
Your best bet would be to try acid loving plants. Though many will not work, you may come across something that will.
These articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/allelopathic-plants.htm This article will help you to get started:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/acid-loving-plants.htm
We purchased a weeping spruce about 4 yrs. ago and it suddenly began to grow much bigger and the branches no longer weep. It looks really out of place and I need to get it back to it's original unique look. How do I prune it and get the branches to weep?
Is that a graft union I see in the first photo? It's possible the straight branches are from the rootstalk and are taking over. All suckers from below the graft should be removed as soon as they are noticed.
If the bottom weeping half is how it is supposed to look, you can prune out all the straight branches back to the collar.
If that isn't how it is supposed to look, the top may have died when the rootstalk took over.
It is beginning to grow nicely but it's going to be too close to the house.
Late summer is the best time to move evergreens. Here are instructions:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/transplanting-trees.htm
I got 2 one gallon BN spruce trees on clearance before I knew much about them... wow, low and slow. They are my babies now, and they are going to be house plants. They will get plenty of bright light at the right color temps, but would like them to be not so short and fat. Can I keep pruning the sides (and stay out of the dead zone) in an attempt to get it to grow more vertical? I have a feeling I am barking up the wrong tree. Thanks. Patrick Hunstiger
Pruning should be done, only, as necessary. It will not force growth upwards, and will slow the growth pretty drastically.
Unfortunately, this is a low, slow grower.
Here is an article that will help you to grow the small shrub:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/birds-nest-spruce/birds-nest-spruce-care.htm