Black Pines

[Mojo Moyogi]

Thanks everybody for your help, will the fungicide do any damage it it is not a fungus disease.

reddoggy, that is one of the best and most sensible follow up questions that I have read on this forum in some years.

Cheers,
Mojo

[Bretts]

The fungucide will do no damage. It is a good idea to make sure the tree is not in extreem conditions on the day you spray though. Ie Make sure it does not dry out and if it is a hot day put it in a little shade or wait until the afternoon to apply.

Dothistroma or needle blight is fairly common, easily identified by banding on the needles, you should give all Pines a Winter and Spring treatment every year. Pretty easy to treat but aparently if left untreated it will kill the tree.

I will not say I am sure it is needle blight but learning from those more experienced than me if I see this I treat with Kocide Blue extra and the problem is resolved.

[Scott Roxburgh]

Scott those video`s by Boon are they applicable to Aussie conditions as I notice that one of them mentions fall so I presume the video`s are American, and a post a year or two back by Dennis McDermott says we have totally different growing conditions and the trees grow a lot quicker out here.

Yes the DVDs are from the US, and have references to US seasons, Fall etc... but adding 6 mths pretty much clears that up, local timing will vary anywhere in the world.

I have never lived in the US so cannot comment on the growing conditions, however the climate of many parts of California is much like the east coast of Australia.

I have followed the techniques in these DVDs and my trees have become better ten-fold.

[Tony Bebb]

Hi reddoggy

Bit hard to tell from the pics, or maybe it's my eyes , but the needles that are brown on the ends appear to be cut or pinched on the ends.

Is that the case or are my eyes too old? If so it may simply be because they are cut or damaged. If pine needles are cut they will brown on the end so it is better just to pluck the whole needle to thin it out a bit and get back shooting of naturally smaller needles.I do notice some banding on some needles so the fungicide won't hurt anyway.

Nice little Pine

Tony

[reddoggy]

Thanks guys for your thoughts on my tree, I really like the shape of it, maybe it is not a classic bonsai shape but they say,"its whatever you like" and trees are not going to suit everybody.
Kocide blue was mentioned for a fungicide, I have never heard of it,where do you get it and if I cannot get it,isthere another one that will do the job.
Thanks again

[Scott Roxburgh]

You should be able to get it from large hardware stores, or nurseries.

If you cannot find Kocide Blue, just get another copper based fungicide, it should be in a small box and it will be a blue powder that you mix in water.