Thuja Smaragd Trees Are Turning Brown And Becoming Twiggy Near Base And Getting Soft Bark

Question From: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Q: I have 13 beautiful thuja smaragd trees which are 25ft in height, and 32years old, however about 5 to 6 months ago in one tree I noticed the lower side near the base of the tree was going brown, and got twiggy where the brown needles fell to the ground now the tree is dead. Now there are 2more trees with the base turning brown same as the one I lost, I notice the tree bark itself is a little soft to touch . I would appreciate any help or advice.

A: My advice is to have a professional, a certified arborist do an onsite inspection and I would do it ASAP. If you had done this when you first saw the damage you may not have lost the first one and possibly the next two. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy