Green Spruce Tree Diseases

Cytospora canker this condition begins by killing branches near the bottom of the tree and gradually works its way up the crown.

Green spruce tree diseases.

All of these diseases are caused by fungal pathogens and each produce specific symptoms that can be useful in diagnosing the problem. It was not immediately apparent what was causing these symptoms. There are three principle types of diseases that affect blue spruce trees. Rhizosphaera needle cast is a common disease of spruce trees and affects all ages of needles.

Needlecasts tip blights and canker diseases. Rhizosphaera needle cast is a common foliar disease of spruces and other conifers caused by the fungus rhizosphaera kalkhoffii. Needle blight and needle cast can be treated with a fungicide approved for fungal diseases on spruce trees. This is an important defoliator of spruce douglas fir true fir and other conifers.

As the name implies trees with needlecast diseases shed needles. Left untreated a severe case of needle cast can lead to continual thinning and eventual decline of the affected tree if spring weather is conducive to infection year after year. Colorado blue spruce is particularly susceptible and can be severly damaged by this disease. Feeding by the larvae can cause complete defoliation of heavily infested trees.

Last week we reported that the malady appears to consist of two previously known diseases of spruce that is a branch death and needlecasting see spruce tree problem shows symptoms of both needlecast and branch death.