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Plant:

Spruce
Image of Spruce
Adaptation
From northern United States down to central Texas, except desert areas.
Planting Method
Tolerates a wide variety of soils.
Pruning
Prune to maintain shape. If two leaders (tops) develop, remove one. For dense, bushy growth, remove a third of each year''s new growth.
Soil
Tolerates a wide variety of soils.
Water
Water newly planted trees thoroughly after planting. Water young trees when the soil is barely moist.
Planting
Spring or fall. When planting, allow enough room for spread and height-some spruces grow to 150 feet.
Fertilizer
Fertilize with evergreen tree spikes.
Light
Full sun to partial shade.
Related problems

Canker and Dieback - Spruce

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Canker and Dieback

Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid -

Image of Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid
Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid

Rhizosphaera Needle Cast -

Image of Rhizosphaera Needle Cast
Rhizosphaera Needle Cast

Spruce Budworms -

Image of Spruce Budworms
Spruce Budworms

Spruce Needle Miner -

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Spruce Needle Miner

Spruce Spider Mite -

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Spruce Spider Mite
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Canker and Dieback - Spruce

Image of Canker and Dieback - Spruce
Canker and Dieback
Description
The needles on the branches nearest the ground turn brown and dry. The needles may drop immediately. Eventually the entire branch dies back. Amber-colored pitch usually oozes from the infected area, becoming white as it dries. The infection may spread to the higher branches.
Analysis

This plant disease is caused by a fungus (Cytospora kunzei) that is very destructive to Norway and Colorado blue spruce. The fungus enters the tree at a wound, killing the surrounding healthy tissue. A canker develops and expands through the wood in all directions. When the canker encircles a branch, the branch dies and the needles turn brown. Sap oozes from the dying branch. Eventually small black spore-producing bodies develop in the bark. Older (more than 15 years), weak, and injured trees are most susceptible to the disease.

Solution

Prune off and destroy dead or dying branches at the trunk. Disinfect the pruning shears after each cut. Do not prune during wet weather. Avoid wounding trees with lawn mowers, tools, and other equipment. Keep trees vigorous by watering during dry spells and fertilizing every few years.

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Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid -

Image of Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid
Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid
Description
Light green to purple, conelike galls, from 1/2 to 3 inches long, appear on the ends of side branches. The galls harden, turn brown, and may persist for years. They are very noticeable in late summer. Although a few galls are harmless, heavy infestations may stunt branches or kill young trees.
Analysis

The cooley spruce gall adelgid requires 2 years to complete its life cycle and may spend part of its life on both spruce and douglas fir. In late spring, the insect feeds, matures, and lays several hundred eggs at the base of needles near branch tips. After hatching, young insects move to growing needles. They suck juices from the needles, inducing the formation of galls that enclose them. The adelgids live and feed in chambers inside the galls. In July, the insects mature and emerge through openings in the dried galls. These adelgids develop wings and migrate to douglas fir or another spruce. The adelgids on douglas fir lay eggs, producing a generation of woolly aphids. (Adelgids are close relatives of aphids and are sometimes called aphids.) Some of these aphids grow wings and migrate back to spruce. Others are wingless and remain on douglas fir. Aphids that do not migrate to douglas fir lay eggs on spruce after emerging from the galls.

Solution

Where practical, remove green galls before they open in midsummer. If galls are abundant, apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions. Avoid excess fertilization.

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Rhizosphaera Needle Cast -

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Rhizosphaera Needle Cast
Description
In late summer, needles yellow, then turn purple-brown, dropping by late autumn. Damage starts on the inner part of the lower branches, progressing upward and outward so the bottom of the tree is bare and hollow. Branches may die after 3 or 4 years of infection.
Analysis

This disease is caused by a fungus (Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii) infecting only spruce trees. It is most common on Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) but also infects white spruce (P. glauca) and occasionally Norway spruce (P. abies). From late spring to fall, rain splashes spores from diseased needles-on the tree and the ground-onto young healthy needles or to stressed older needles. The fungus grows within the needles for almost a year with no symptoms; then needles turn yellow or purple-brown and die. The cycle begins anew the next spring, Spores infect leaves that are wet for at least 48 hours, so they are worse during wet springs. The fungus does not usually kill trees, but dead branches spoil the appearance.

Solution

Apply a fungicide labeled for this disease, following label directions. Watch for reinfection. Clean up and dispose of fallen needles before spring growth begins. Water in summer and fertilize in the spring to keep trees growing vigorously and prevent needle cast. Avoid wetting needles watering the lawn.

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Ortho® MAX® Garden Disease Control Concentrate

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Spruce Budworms -

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Spruce Budworms
Description
Needles on the ends of branches are chewed and webbed together. Brownish caterpillars up to 1 inch long with yellow raised spots are feeding on the needles. Initial damage occurs on new foliage, often near the top of the tree. The whole tree may be defoliated. By midsummer, branch ends may turn reddish brown, becoming gray in the fall. Branches or the entire tree may die after 5 or more years of defoliation.
Analysis

Choristoneura species Spruce budworms are very destructive to ornamental spruce, fir, and douglas fir and may infest pine, larch, and hemlock. The budworm is cyclical. It comes and goes in epidemics 10 or more years apart. The moths are small (1/2 inch long) and grayish, with bands and spots of brown. The females lay pale green eggs in clusters on the needles in late July and August. The larvae that hatch from these eggs crawl to hiding places in the bark or in lichen mats, or they are blown by the wind to other trees, where they hide. The tiny larvae spin a silken case and hibernate there until spring. In May, when the weather warms, the caterpillars tunnel into needles. As they grow, they feed on opening buds; later they chew off needles and web them together. The larvae feed for about 5 weeks, pupate on twigs, and emerge as adults.

Solution

Apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions.

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Ortho® MAX® Malathion Insect Spray Concentrate

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Spruce Needle Miner -

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Spruce Needle Miner
Description
Groups of brown needles are webbed together, usually near the inside of the lower branches. A material that resembles sawdust surrounds the webbing. The entire tree may be severely infested, giving it an unsightly appearance. If a partially brown needle is broken open, a small , greenish-brown larva may be seen feeding inside.
Analysis

Endothenia albolineana The spruce needle miner is the larva of a small 1/2 inch), dark brown moth. The moth lays eggs in late spring to early summer on the undersides of old needles. The larvae that hatch from these eggs bore into the base of the needles, feeding on the interior. When the interior is consumed, the caterpillars cut off the needles at their base and web them together, forming a nest. The needle miners feed until the first frost and then enter a hollow needle, where they spend the winter. When the weather warms in spring, the larvae continue feeding until April or May. They pupate inside the webbed nest of needles and emerge as adults to lay more eggs. Several other types of needle miners may cause similar damage to spruce trees.

Solution

The following spring, before buds break, wash out infested needles with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. Gather the debris and destroy it. When moths and young larvae appear, usually in late May or early June, apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions.

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Spruce Spider Mite -

Image of Spruce Spider Mite
Spruce Spider Mite
Description
Needles are stippled, yellow, and dirty. A silken webbing may be on the twigs and needles. Needles usually turn brown and fall off. To check for mites, hold a sheet of white paper underneath some stippled needles and tap the foliage sharply. Minute dark green to black specks can be easily seen as they begin to crawl around.
Analysis

Oligonychus ununguis The spruce spider mite is one of the most damaging pests of spruces and many other conifers because it sucks sap from the undersides of needles. As a result of the mites'' feeding, chlorophyll disappears, causing a stippled appearance. This symptom may be mistaken for damage caused by air pollution. Spider mites first appear between April and June. In subtropical areas, mites may be active during warm periods in winter. They are most active in the cool temperatures of spring and fall, becoming dormant in hot weather (over 90&deg;F). A complete generation takes only 17 days, so mites rapidly build up to tremendous numbers. Older trees may dieafter several years, with symptoms progressing from the lower branches upward. Young spruce trees may die the first season. Several other kinds of mites also infest spruce trees.

Solution

Apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions.

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