I've got a disease

[Webos]

Looks as though I have something spreading through my Pines. Causing white spots all over the needles. If anyone can identify the problem and advise me on how to stop it, It would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Jamie]

hi mate,

not being extremely in the know on pines but I would say this is a needle cast or blight, it would be a fungal issue. that may help, have a google search on needle cast/blight and you should come up with something

[Mojo Moyogi]

Hi Webos,
I did a quick search and came up empty handed I'm afraid. You could sieve through the websites of Horticulture Departments of the major US Universities (Cornell, Uni of Florida, Ohio State, Penn State and Harvard spring to mind), their sites can be usefull if you dig about. The US Forestry Service (I think it is part of the US Dept. of Agriculture) might be handy.

Just to clarify, is this in multiple trees and throughout those affected trees (not localised i.e. in low branches only or at the apex or in a branch here and there)? Do the affected trees have anything in common, for instance have they all been repotted recently, or not, have you added a new pine to your benches recently, if a newly added tree is affected, it could be the host of the pestdisease problem.

If there are unaffected trees, now might be a good time to isolate them.

Sorry I can't be of more help at the moment.

Cheer,
Mojo

P.S. Needle Cast Or some kind of blight is possible, I couldn't find a Needle Bast or blight that matched the problem pictured above, but there is a chance that what is on your Pines at the moment is still in it's early stages and that it's appearance will change.

[Jamie]

hi mate,

one thing that might be able to narrow down the problem is knowing the species, certain fungal problems can occur within certain species.

[Pup]

G,day mate ugh, while I would not say for certain it is needle cast I would not rule it out either. I would however think more of a RUST.

Rusts attack a large variety of plants, they need differing hosts over winter also, where it is cold they need two types of plant to survive winter.

In Europe the Poplar rust spends winter on the Larch.

The best way to control it is with Chemicals, using either Zineb or Sulphur.

I would send a Pm to Grant Bowie with a picture, if it is needle cast he will tell you, but I think it is a rust.

Cheers Pup

[Dumper]

i had this problem before.

dont know wat it is. all i did was pluck and cut the needles. now they are fine.

john

[Grant Bowie]

Hi ,

It could be the early stages of Dothistroma and this can get worse and kill pines.

To control we spray with Cocide Blue(which replaces Bordeaux mix) a couple of times. You want to stop it spreading from the old needles to the new needles. Removal of the older needles when ready will help also. difficult to control on trees in the ground.

Google Dothistroma and you will get a number of sites that may help.

I would spray in Canberra say November and January sometime.

I also spray pines regularly with Confidor and Pest oil and don't really get Dothistroma any more. Maybe the Pest oil protects it? unproven.

Grant