Dead Tree in 2023

I have several trees, hedges, bushes, and scrubs on my property that require constant maintenance. I usually don't do much with the trees, which consist of a small Birch, an Elm, two Maples, and a couple Spruce trees. There are also three 20-foot-tall Arborvitaes along one side of the house, which need to be top trimmed, but that is a topic for another post. 

The photo shows how one of my Spruce trees looked ten years ago and how it looks today. I noticed it starting to drop needles about a year ago. I checked online and found that it is most likely something called Rhizosphaera needle cast, a fungal disease of spruce trees that causes needles to turn brown and fall off. It can occur in trees stressed from drought, poor planting practices or other factors. It has been fairly dry here the last few years, with last winter being unusually harsh. I'm afraid I may have contributed one of the "other factors" by spraying Round Up near the tree in an attempt to eliminate poison ivy from my yard. 

There were also a couple of evergreen shrubs that turned brown this spring that also may have been exposed to Round Up weed killer. I find it unlikely that a mature tree could be killed by weed killer, but it may have contributed to its demise if it was already under environmental stress. I tried homemade weed killers made from salt and vinegar, but that didn't seem to work very well. When you get a poison ivy like rash three years in a row, every time you work in the yard, you will try anything to eliminate the source. Once it gets on your clothes, you pretty much have to throw them out, or risk getting another rash.

I trimmed most of the dead branches at the base, but at this point, I don't think the tree can be saved. It is in a row with six other Spruce trees which serve as a noise break and privacy fence at the back of the lot. The city may notice it and ask me to have it removed. I don't know if this can spread to the other trees or if the weed killer was the primary cause. Regardless, it will have to be removed before long. I learned today that the annual yard waste drop-off location will be free again this year during September and October. Every year I generate a pile of branches from pruning. With residential burn restrictions in the city, this is my only chance to get rid of the brush pile.