'pine or fir' tree seems to be diseased, help please

[SWray]

Hello,
Apologies for my ignorance but I've inherited what looks like a pine tree/bush that obviously has a problem. It's been like this for two or three years with most of the needles turning brown and dropping off but always some new growth at the start of the year. The bush was moved two years ago when it was already struggling and it doesn't seem to have harmed it but it's carried on deteriorating. The photos attached are from today.

Could anyone help and tell what the problem might be? It's been treated for a spider mite which helped it in the past but doesn't seem to have any affect now. 
Could it be something similar to Sirococcus blight? There aren't any lesions or sap that I can see though.

Many thanks for your time in reading this and any help you might be able to offer,
Sean

[openspaceman]

Spruce isn't it? Are the stones marble or limestone?

[SWray]

Hello,
Thank you for the reply. The stone is called dolomite marble quarried in Spain. The bush was having the same problem in a raised bed for two or three years without the stone around it, and it's been around the stone for approximately one year. So it's been quite a slow process. It had thrived for eight years and then this started so it was moved in an attempt to help. It's approximately 3 feet high and wide so not big. The purchaser couldn't remember the type or name of the tree, but I can see it would look amazing when healthy. There is a bluey colour to the 'needles'. 
Thanks again for any help,
Sean

[slack ma girdle]

Root damage when it was moved, not enough water post move.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, slack ma girdle said:

Root damage when it was moved, not enough water post move.

Coupled with lime induced chlorosis?

[Stubby]

And now the roots can't breath . 

[SWray]

Thank you for all the replies. Are you able to expand on why the roots can't breathe?
Many thanks

[Stubby]

2 hours ago, SWray said:

Thank you for all the replies. Are you able to expand on why the roots can't breathe?
Many thanks

The weight of the stones and the desity may compromise the roots somewhat . Similar to when people put paving slabs right up to the base of the tree rather than just open soil . 

[SWray]

I see. Thanks for taking the time to explain. I'll see if I can improve anything with all the above help.

Thanks again,
Sean

[openspaceman]

Spruce grow in slightly acidic conditions , those stones are a limestone. Rain is slightly acid but when it runs off those stones it carries a small amount of calcium ions into the soil. These inhibit the uptake of other necessary metallic ions for the plant.

 

Probably the replanting compromised the roots but it might be worth removing the stones and checking the soil pH is a bit below 6.

 

I serviced the wood fired boiler on a council run nursery that specialised in ericasious plants, their irrigation water came from a chalk aquifer and was of high pH, they had to dilute it with minute amounts of nitric acid to maintain the soil pH a bit less than 6.