Hi- I live in Toronto and have several evergreen trees on my front lawn (north side of property) that are approximately 23 years old. They have been perfectly healthy until this past month when several of them have turned brown. I am afraid that they may have been exposed to winter salt that I used on my walkway, as the run off may have seeped into the soil. Is there anything I can do to revive them? Please help and thank you so much for everything you guys do.
P.s. I was unable to upload photos, as the files exceeded the max upload size.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners to inquire about your evergreen trees. The damage to your evergreens could be caused by many different factors, including salt damage caused by soil contamination or salt spray. It would be helpful to know what type of trees you have as different evergreen species have different levels of salt resistance. What symptoms did your trees experience? Soil contamination by salt usually is evidenced by leaf burn and die-back, while salt spray damage results in needles browning off beginning at the tips. Refer to: Salt resistance of trees and shrubs and Winter salt injury to plants.
Winter injury of evergreens caused by cold winter winds drying out the plants is very common, especially after a harsh winter like Toronto experienced this year. A helpful video from the University of Wyoming: Why are my evergreens brown. Note also that Thuja occidentalis (Emerald Cedars) are very susceptible to browning.
Hopefully this information is helpful to you.
May 17, 2022