Question From: Monroe, New York, United States
Q: I have 4 or 5 arborvitae maybe 12 to 15 ft high that are starting to drop there inner leaves turning brown the outer leaves are green but its spreading is it okay to water with water that has a softner attached to it im in the mountains we have hard water don't know if its mites or fungal would hate to lose them took a while to get that big thank you any help would be appreciated
A: The interior needles will brown and drop as a result of lack of sun, but these brown needles should not be visible. Water softened with salt should not be used in the garden. Your options are putting in a spigot that bypasses the softener outdoors or using water buckets to collect rainwater. You could also dig a pond and pump water from it or dig an outdoor cistern. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy
