What's eating my waldbrunn spruce?

Waldbrunn Spruce (Picea abies 'Waldbrunn') is a dwarf flat-spreading Norway spruce primarily threatened by spruce spider mites, particularly during dry summer heat. Eastern spruce gall adelgid and bagworms are secondary concerns. Its low, spreading habit keeps it close to the ground where slug and vole damage to the base may also occur.

Bronzed, stippled needles and webbing; inner needles drop, leaving bare patches in the canopy. Apply horticultural oil or insecticidal soap; ensure adequate watering during summer drought periods.

Small galls at new shoot bases that abort the tip growth when they open. Remove galls before they open in late spring; apply dormant oil annually in early spring.

Gnawed bark at the base of stems at or just below ground level; tunneling in roots can girdle the plant. Place hardware cloth cylinders around the base; keep mulch pulled back from stems; use vole repellent bait stations nearby.