Spruce tree disease

[coachgrd]

Hi everyone. Wondering if any of you have spruce trees that have been hit with a disease called Needlecasts? In looking at our trees and information online, I think mine have this disease. I found a treatment at Lowes that says it handles this particular disease, but there is not much clarity in the application process. It's applied with a garden sprayer, but there is not much direction as to where to focus the spray: the new growth or what appears dead on the interior. Any ideas?

I know this is a long shot but thought maybe someone here has dealt successfully with it.

 

[Daren Todd]

What is the name of the stuff for your trees. That may help with the application process.

My crepe myrtles got hit with the dreaded black bark. I used the stuff put out by Bayer (it's labeled under a new name) for tree mites and diseases. You hook the bottle to a garden hose and spray the tree as well as the drip line under the tree so it can get to the roots. You could also buy it in a concentrate form to mix in a garden sprayer. But the application process was the same.

It kills the pests on the tree. But also gets absorbed by the root system to rid and help guard against disease.

 

[RCW]

I’d like to know Daren’s questions too.

What kind of spruce trees are they?

There isn’t a healthy Colorado Blue spruce I know of around here, but some other species are pretty hardy.
Any pictures of them?
Maybe a photo of the immediate area around the tree(s)?
My forest pathology courses were many, many years ago, but it’s worth a shot......

 

[kkk]

All of NW Oregon has dead fir trees everywhere...big ones ,little ones ..it don't matter.
Starts on one branch(dying) and by year 3 its dead top to bottom.
Some will snap out of it but are clearly history as the bark will peel about halfway up tree.

Don't know what they call it up here and theres not much online.
Tree guys are swamped..and lots of new Tree Service guys popping up.
They are making some big bucks off this.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

great businesses here...tree cutting and firewood..seem 'we' imported a lot of foreign 'bugs' over the years and ALL native species of trees will be extinct in 30-50 years. I could have a 1,000 year stockpile of Ash if I wanted it, nice to mill....
I said 50 years ago ALL goods coming into Canada must be on PLASTIC skids...ironically ALL skids for export MUST be heat treated....,so we help 'them' and not us...sigh.

 

[RCW]

great businesses here...tree cutting and firewood..seem 'we' imported a lot of foreign 'bugs' over the years and ALL native species of trees will be extinct in 30-50 years. I could have a 1,000 year stockpile of Ash if I wanted it, nice to mill....
I said 50 years ago ALL goods coming into Canada must be on PLASTIC skids...ironically ALL skids for export MUST be heat treated....,so we help 'them' and not us...sigh.

Jay - -

One of the hardy spruces here in the northeast US are the Norway spruces (Picea abies?)....ton of them planted in the 1930's during the Civilian Conservation Corps-era (CCC) of the Great Depression. Non-native to the US, but have done well. I cut them for pulpwood (paper) years ago. Make good sawlogs now.

The Blue Spruce (Picea pungens?) is from western US, and betting Canada, but sucks around here anymore. Was a popular Christmas tree species 30 years ago, but not so much anymore.

No doubt we have foreign bugs; EAB is a great example.

Like you said, I think the authorities were late to the party to control some of the tree pathogens that came into the US and Canada on/in un-treated wood pallets.

We have a shit-ton of Scots Pine too. Some is good, majority is crap. The LAZY guys collecting seed in Europe 100 years ago had an easier time getting cones from the scraggly-low-growing trees way-back-when..... Guess what we got?!?!?!

 

[NCPABill]

Ironically, the first time on this site and the rarity that I might have knowledge to help someone else!

I believe that your spruce are likely Blue Spruce, and have contracted Rhizophaera Needlecast. We have several thousand on our farm. We treat them with a product called Bravo, beginning when 10% of the trees break buds, then every two weeks for six cycles. It is a fungal disease, and as I understand it, you can't really kill it, but the chemical is a protectant that gets applied to the needles to prevent establishment of more fungus.

Good luck with your quest to save them!

 

[RCW]

Ironically, the first time on this site and the rarity that I might have knowledge to help someone else!

I believe that your spruce are likely Blue Spruce

Bill - welcome to OTT!

Blue was my first thought. Hopefully he comes back with some more information.

 

[coachgrd]

Thanks everyone...I'll try to snap a pic tomorrow and get the name of the stuff I sprayed.

And Bill, thank your for your expertise!

 

[coachgrd]

Ok, so this is the worst of the trees, and here is a pic the stuff I sprayed on the tree.

 

[RCW]

Yep, sure looks like a Blue Spruce. Needles are sharp and pretty stiff? (I think scientific name is Picea pungens).

Sounds like Bill will have a better idea as far as product choice, but needlecast is fungal, so you should be heading in the right direction!