Sick Blue Spruce-need help

[mnedel]

Greetings to all plant lovers. At our mountain cottage, we have a Blue Spruce (or maybe it is a Blue Fir) in the yard, about 30 years old, 10+ meters high. I noticed that there are black sores on the branches that are leaking resin. Resin generally drips down the trunk of the entire tree, from the top of the tree. There are resin deposits on the ground around the tree. As far as I have read on the net, resin leakage indicates that the plant is fighting against something. But I'm not sure which pathogen it is and how the tree can be helped. The tree is still growing and the outer needles are of the nice blue color, but the inner parts of branches have no needles. Tree doesn’t look as lush as before. This is the first tree I planted and I really care about saving it.
Thanks

 

[freeasaburt]

Weakened by drought, then infected with a fungal disease I would guess (Cytospora, maybe?). If it's that, I'm sure there's a lot of people here with actual experience in saving diseased trees, as far as I know affected branches should be pruned, and your tools desinfected after cutting a diseased branch?

Anyway, don't take my word for it, just my "2 cents".

 

[mnedel]

Thank you for the reply. It was definitely weakened by drought. Last few summers were very dry and hot. I noticed lots of plants struggling in the neighborhood, even very old trees. Would it help at all to spray the tree with fungicide? I added a few pictures of the whole tree.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Looks like that is beyond help.

 

[freeasaburt]

Thank you for the reply. It was definitely weakened by drought. Last few summers were very dry and hot. I noticed lots of plants struggling in the neighborhood, even very old trees. Would it help at all to spray the tree with fungicide? I added a few pictures of the whole tree.

No idea, but it's not something I would do, to be honest.

I let some acorns germinate, and planted some Ash, and only watered them a few times after planting. About 50 % died from drought (2 others saw my brush cutter from a bit too close, stupid me...). Thing is, the ones that made it are probably gonna be strong/healthy ones.

I understand you care about a tree you planted but the weather (+beetles etc., after the trees got weaker) has simply been terrible on trees in Europe, especially fir/spruce. I still have a shitload to cut, all dead and tops are starting to come down, sometimes almost complete trees.

Pics from a little job I did a few months ago (2 different trees, I didn't fall it onto the little house, a storm did that ).

 

[ATH]

Are you in the country Serbia?

If that tree were in the midwest US, I'd said it looks like Cytospora canker (the big globs on the branches). Those branches should be pruned off. It also looks like it has some needlecast. Here, that is most likely Rhizosphaera, but it could be a couple of others. We look with a hand lens to diagnose.

I have no idea how common those pests are there. I also don't know what fungicides you have available...