I think my conifer is dying ???

[cintique]

I have a conifer, 13 yrs old, taller then my house, the base measures 44 inches circumference. It is still green on the outside, but the inside is totally dead. I can look up through it and see the sky. That's how I noticed a birds nest up there (what birds nest in conifers (it wouldn't be a couple of loved up wood pidgeons, would it?)

Anyway, apart from the spark of a match, is there anything I can do. My partner says cut it down as it keeps out the sunlight and nothing else grows, but it has sentimental value to me, as my late uncle planted it.

Any suggestions would be great !!

[Pirate1]

I think your partner may be right. However, if the tree has sentimental value why not take some cuttings and grow a new one. It will still hold the memories! It can be difficult to get cuttings to root but I have managed it with a conifer once. I took about 24 cuttings and looked after them well and only one rooted. Once rooted it grew beautifully. Its worth a go.

[Thunderbird+]

This sounds like the way many conifers naturaly grow, the outer foliage shades out the inner foliage and causes it to die-back, but of corse the branch is alive otherwise there would be no green at all.

As for the birds nest, many birds like to nest in conifers for the dence cover they provide. Black birds, robins, thrushes and many more will choose it as a nest site, it could well be wood pigeons, they tend to build a shallow platform-like nest, sometimes you can actually see the eggs by looking up through the loosly placed twigs.
You could try some shade loving plants below it that would normally be found in woodlands ie- ferns, violas, cyclemon, wood anemones etc. maybe your uncle would have liked that. Good Luck. Tbird+