We've got a row of Fir trees between my neighbours garden & ours (6) they are the small slow growing kind & look v/nice and we've all been happy about them. They are about 3' 6" high, My problem is they are all dieing, they've gone brown & are looking pathetic. Why should this happen after 5 years? Someone mentioned the 'Red Spider' could be the culprit, anyone know about them.? Shall I dig them all up & start again or is there any hope? Over to you.......
Doubtfull it is red spider mite especially outdoors in the cold and on established fir trees. More likely to be phytophthora which is a fungal disease and not much you can do about it if it has taken hold. The other possibility is aphids but depends on what type you have.
Another possibility is cats or dogs peeing up the bushes or neighbours not liking conifer hedges and applying weedkiller without you knowing.
Best to dig them up, apply a fungicide drench to the soil and re-plant.
My neighbour (an old lady of 75) is concerned also, I don't think anything un-toward is happening there we are good friends.
Thankyou Hawkwalk for your sugestion I think you may be right about the fungal disease. this is quite a nice area & very rarely see a cat let alone a dog. Have looked for aphids but no sign. Yep, its a fungle thing you're right & thankyou again.
pk