WHEN I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOME SIX YEARS AGO WE DEVELOPED SEWER PROBLEMS. NOT KNOWING WHAT ELSE TO DO I MADE THE MISTAKE OF ASKING A FRIEND FOR INPUT ON THE MATTER. HE TOLD US THAT THE ONLY WAY TO CURE THIS WAS TO USE TREE ROOT KILLER (COPPER SULFATE), SO WE DID. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS. NOW I HAVE A 30 FOOT BLUE SPRUCE THAT IS LOOKING VERY POOR. IT HAS A LOT OF DEAD LIMBS WHICH I CUT BACK AND IT SEEMS THAT MORE ARE DYING. BUT IT ALSO HAS SOME NEW GROWTH NEAR THE BASE. I WATER IT AND USE FERTILIZER SPIKES EVERY YEAR. DOES ANY ONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN THANK YOU RICK IN MICHIGAN

-- RICK IN MICHIGAN (trickrk@mediaone.net), August 25, 2000

Answers

Couldn't find a date on your post as to how recent it is/was. On opposite side of tree (where root killer was not administered), about 5' away from tree, flush with garden hose/fresh water. Let pressure from hose create a hole in the ground and keep feeding hose into ground to about 4 feet. Then turn pressure way down so as much water as possible is absorbed underground. Do this a couple times per week for 4-6 weeks, about 20 gal. each time. Hopefully this will spur new root growth in area not contaminated by root killer. Worked for me! Good Luck...

-- (twotracker@excite.com), June 18, 2002.