Conifer concerns

Willson.S

Hi all,

we have conifers in our front garden and I recently put a border around them and bark from b&q to help retain moisture but, the conifers aren’t looking very green and the tips of them are looking white, advice would be appreciated. 

Here they are with the new edging:

And here is a close up:

Fairygirl

Unfortunately, conifers need lots of moisture, and if they've gone short it can affect growth. It's quite common for the outer foliage to be affected, especially when they're so close together. The problem is that by the time it's noticeable, it's often too late. Thujas are usually pretty tough though, so it may not be a major problem. It could just be a bit of windburn too.

They are also susceptible to phytophthora, although I don't think it looks like that. 

Willson.S

What would you recommend?

Fairygirl

I'm not sure there's much you can do - except pray for rain if you're in a dry area. 
If you have a poke around the base, under the bark, you'll be able to see if the ground's very dry. It's the most likely reason. If so, you can try soaking them thoroughly over the next couple of weeks to see if there's any improvement. A good bucketful for each one every few days.
They do best in damper cooler areas - any long term dry weather, and drying winds, makes it difficult for them. 

Willson.S

Thank you for the advice, I will water them and offer them some fertiliser, vitax Q4

Fairygirl

No - don't feed them until they show signs of recovery. Feeding plants of any kind that are struggling is counter productive. 

Willson.S

Who knew! Just some water then

Dovefromabove

I agree with @fairygirl ... feeding a struggling plant is like giving a poorly person a huge roast dinner, Christmas pud and brandy .... toooooooooooo much richness.  Some tlc ... plenty of water and fingers crossed 🤞

🤔 What's under that gravel?  There's nothing stopping whatever water the rain does give us from getting down to the roots is there?

Willson.S

I will be watering them regularly over the next few weeks.

Nothing under the gravel, I’ll be honest and say they haven’t been watered in a while, just thought rain water would be enough

Fairygirl

Even in a wet area, it can be hard for it to penetrate the ground properly. 
That's also why it can be a long time before any problems appear. Mature conifers of any kind can cope with some dry weather short term, and then they decline. 
Even up here, there were a lot of casualties over the last year, because we've had a lot of spells of very dry weather. Our climate up here is perfect for them - normally, but it's been a bridge too far for some. 

Plantminded

I wonder whether this may be a scale insect problem?  The mould and browning leaves are typical symptoms.  I have no personal experience of this problem in my garden, but may be @Fairygirl or @Dovefromabove may know?