I would also clean out all the dead needles from within the plant

Is there a male dog in the neighborhood visiting at night? 'Cause thats what my doggie's favorite conifers look like!

Barbara

every time i clean it out.. the hole gets bigger.. lol ...

i realize i have no reference scale there.. but it would have to be one BIG dog .. lol ... my golden is too lazy to lift his leg that far.. and he tends not to go into the beds .... he may hit more isolated plants though ...

i think it is some disease process ... which afflicts sylvestis ... maybe i will have to resort to the scotch ... and forget about my scots .... which has been my protocol for the last few years.. in regard to this plant ... lol ..

ken

Ken, you're right. Pinus sylvestris (or at least some of its cultivars) I've had the same exact problems with. Their needles turn purple and I end up eventually with patchy plants. 'Beacon Hill' and 'Argentea Compacta'. I did at one point find a harvest on my 'Argentea Compacta' of sawflies.

Dax

Makes me wonder... Pinus sylvestris is on the "no ship" list to California. Did I wrongly assume this is because of SOD?

Barbara

More likely pine wilt nematode, which (as far as I know) doesn't occur in Calif.

Resin

Doggie damage on Picea glauca 'Conica'. Only positive is that it's at the back of the plant...

Barbara