Brown foliage on conifer

sam.cavenaghVxgOwHBJ

Hello,

I have two conifer trees, one of which has grown into the other, put it in the shade and caused a large number of branches to die (see photo). I have now cut back the offending tree branches however can anybody tell me if the lower branches of the tree will regrow now that it is no longer shaded? And is there anything I can do encourage the branches to grow back?

Many thanks!

sam.cavenaghVxgOwHBJ

forgot the photo! 

K67

Very few conifers will regrow, don't know what yours is.
You could trim all the lower branches back to the trunk though.

Fairygirl

Yes - the brown bits won't regrow- they've been starved of light which is a common problem. Once you remove the other shrub/tree, it highlights the problem more.
You can wait and see if other branches grow across well enough, or do as @K67 suggests and take all the lower branches back to the main trunk and therefore raise the canopy all round. That will probably be a better solution.
I do that with the one I have at the rear of the garden. 

The tree on the left isn't looking too great either, but I can't see what it is well enough to say if it will come back.  

Buttercupdays

In my opinion, (which I know you haven't asked for ) they both look awful, and you could have something much nicer to look at in front of your windows!

Fairygirl

Buttercupdays said:

In my opinion, (which I know you haven't asked for ) they both look awful, and you could have something much nicer to look at in front of your windows!

I was thinking the same....
They should have been 'managed' from the start, and then they could have been ok, but unfortunately they've not. Not really the ideal specimens for so close to a house.

Dovefromabove

It’s difficult using it @Fairygirl .... sometimes folk are so eager for their trees to grow and provide the privacy they seek, that they are reluctant to
manage them from the outset because they think this will slow the growth. 

Proper formative management of young trees will prevent problems later on ... but it’s hard to convince people who’ve not seen it happen and who want to screen their garden.