SPRUCE TREES
Spruce trees here in eastern Nebraska are host to a number of insect and disease issues, especially the blue spruce varieties. For these evergreens to look and do their best, it is recommended to have them on an annual preventative spray program.
- Rhizosphaera needle cast, a fungus, will cause a slow decline and thinning of spruce trees over the course of years.
- Spider mites will also cause decline and thinning.
- Bagworms can cause the quick stripping of needles and disfiguration or death of spruce trees.
PINE TREES
Our non-native pines like Austrian and Scots pines are susceptible to two needle diseases. A series of foliar sprays can prevent or fight these fungal pathogens:
- Dothistroma needle blight infects older needles, causing them to die prematurely.
- Diplodia tip blight kills the new shoots as they emerge in spring. Because the trees drop old needles, and this disease inhibits new needles from growing, a heavy infestation can cause the death of these pines.
