Spruce Disease

[SCL]

I went to a customers house the other day and he has a large spruce that appears to be dying. The needles are turning brownish/red but seem to still be supple. Tree coverage is 30-40 % from top to bottom. He has several more spruce on site and I only found one other branch on any of these that also showed this. It appears to be a fungus or blight, I believe. I took this branch to my local nursery and he said that he had had 2 other reports of this in the last couple of days. My customer watered the first tree heavily in the fall when evidence of this started, but it has only progressed through the winter. Any thoughts?

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I have had good results using a Systrex micro injection on spruce and pine trees here in Colorado. From the looks of your photo I would say that it is a fungal infection, and Systrex has an anti fungal agent in it as well as many other nutreints. What part of the country are you in? I would check the trunk of the tree for boring holes caused by spruce beetles, we are starting to see a lot of that here. If the tree is to far gone you may have to remove it as to prevent infection of other trees on the property.

Kenn

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

check this one out chrysomyxa leaf rust fungi also rhizospheara kalkhoffii might be worth further investgation

 

[phasthound]

Don't guess with diagnosis! Take samples to your County Agricultural Extension Agent, they are a pretty good source of information. There are some great books on the market.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Books, yeah Sinclair is very good. ISA sells it and same with most of the online stores.

I'd lean towards Rhizoshpheara around here by the looks. If there is a lot of pitching out on branches and stems then Cytospora.

 

[SCL]

I deferred to a pathologist on this one and when I went by the other day the tree was gone! I'll have to get with them and find out the final diagnosis. Thanks for all the input.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by SCL
I deferred to a pathologist on this one and when I went by the other day the tree was gone!
So youir customer hired someone else to remove the tree while you were trying to ID the disease? There's loyalty for ya.
I'll have to get with them and find out the final diagnosis. Thanks for all the input.

Once you do, you should be able to sell a pHC program on the other spruces so they don't lose them too.