where are you young jedi master??? i think your light saber was left on.. because your pic is a bit fuzzy ...

and how bad was the drought LAST year?? .. one point 5 years ago .. not this summer???

the key is .. whether those buds are viable for next spring.. or dead from this spring ... can you tell us???

i was going to delete this ... but after seeing your second post.. i am going to say the same thing there. ..

and consider this jedi.. bugs dont attack healthy trees.. they attack those already stressed ...

what says you???.. possible.. of nonsense????

ken

Could be mites, could be fungal, could be from a number of ailments causing spruce decline lately. Judging by the color of the few needles left I'd rule out deer. Is there anything of note going on where the good needles end and the decline begins?

When did the discoloration of the needles start? Or did you just recently notice the needles gone?

tj

my vote, bunny rabbits.

~Dave

Haven't considered rabbits. A similiar thing happened last year and I cut back and of course has happened again.
I guess I noticed this time in early fall.

Although our summers are typically warm, aside from a 2 week period in August, it was one of the more mild in my almost 20 years south. We had consistent rain (every 3-5 days) until fall and it has been dry.

If it is fungal/bugs what is the best product to use?
Also, aside from consistent water Dr. Ken what is the best remedy to keep plants from being stressed?

Last, my photo skills rank up there with most technology. Still unable to figure our how to post multiple pix. Yes, I'm sharp as a marble.....

Does not look like any type of herbivory. We'd be seeing gnawed shoots then, not just some missing needles. I'd speculate that somewhere between spider mite infestation and needle blight of one type or another lies the answer.

+oM

Dave, what kind of rabbits you have in your neck of the woods?

Is this a newer planting? Could be a dried out shoot for all we know.

If it doesn't effect the overall look greatly, I'd just remove the entire shoot back to the next major branch. I can't tell if you are just inquiring about the one shoot shown or if the entire plant is effected. I've had what you show, I cut out the bad and move on.

What kind of rabbits?!?

the small, brown, hungry kind. LOL. I've seen them do this precise kind of work on one of my Picea omorika 'Pendula Bruns.' Makes it so P.B. doesn't ever get to grow much of a skirt.

I do the same thing Will recommends, just chop of the chomped branches and it's all good.

~Dave

I know tastes of vermin can vary region to region, but I never saw rabbit damage on a pungens here. Omorika, yes, but not pungens.

tj