Is this a disease on my 'Tannenbaum' Mugo Pine - Ask Extension
This 'Tannenbaum' Mugo Pine tree was planted last year as a 20 gal. This Spring it started having the tips turn brown and die. What is going on with ...
Knowledgebase
Is this a disease on my 'Tannenbaum' Mugo Pine #132342
Asked June 05, 2013, 4:24 PM EDT
This 'Tannenbaum' Mugo Pine tree was planted last year as a 20 gal. This Spring it started having the tips turn brown and die. What is going on with my tree and is there anything I can do about it.
Carver County Minnesota
Expert Response
The following
site has general information about Mugo pine.
http://hvp.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/description/pi_mugo.html
These are some of the questions that you should ask yourself to determine what caused the new needles to turn brown. First, where are the symptoms on your Mugo Pine? Are the symptoms at the top, or the bottom, or on one side? Which direction does that side face? Are the symptoms on the branch tips, or the new growth? Or are they seen toward the interior of the tree (second year, or earlier growth? When did the symptoms first appear? Think back to what the tree looked like last year. Were their similar symptoms developing in mid-summer or fall? Study the foliage and the area next to the damage. Do you see any discoloration, spotting, streaking or banding of the needles or the stems? Do you see any galls on the foliage? Are there any fungi growing on branches or on the trunk? Is there evidence that insects have been or are feeding? Look for European Pine Sawfly Larvae (green caterpillars with black heads) and Pine Needle Scale. These two critters often attack Mugo pine. A picture of pine sawfly is found at this site. http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/yglnews/yglnewsmay152008.html
Last, but not least, take into account the possibility of a disease caused by the environment in which the plant lives. This means that some requirement of the plant is not satisfied, and, therefore, the plant is weakened. This could be lack of space for root growth, air or water pollutants, extremes of moisture, heat, salt, cold, light, soil pH, and nutrients. To diagnose this type of decline, you must first rule out other diseases or insects, and then examine the site carefully. In addition, consider the possibility that the plant has suffered damage due to mechanical injury? Some diseases only occur when the plant is stressed or has been damaged by another cause. Consider transplant shock. http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-31.html
Once you have carefully detailed the symptoms, compare your list with information from the following site. http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/diagnostics/evergreen/pine/index.html If you are unable to determine exactly what is causing the problem, send a fresh branch sample along with the list of symptoms that you observed to the plant disease clinic. http://pdc.umn.edu/. Proper diagnosis is the key to adopting the proper control measures, and the details you provide from your on-site observations are invaluable.
Newly planted trees require consistent moisture. Apply 5-7 gallons of a combination of rain and tap water to the root ball once a week to a newly planted tree. Wood and bark chips mulch around the base of the tree provides a more favorable environment for the new tree roots. Spread a 3-4 inch layer of mulch around the trunk but avoid direct contact with the tree trunk. Mulch allows better infiltration of water, holds soil moisture, limits weed growth, and discourages injury from lawnmowers and weed whips.
These are some of the questions that you should ask yourself to determine what caused the new needles to turn brown. First, where are the symptoms on your Mugo Pine? Are the symptoms at the top, or the bottom, or on one side? Which direction does that side face? Are the symptoms on the branch tips, or the new growth? Or are they seen toward the interior of the tree (second year, or earlier growth? When did the symptoms first appear? Think back to what the tree looked like last year. Were their similar symptoms developing in mid-summer or fall? Study the foliage and the area next to the damage. Do you see any discoloration, spotting, streaking or banding of the needles or the stems? Do you see any galls on the foliage? Are there any fungi growing on branches or on the trunk? Is there evidence that insects have been or are feeding? Look for European Pine Sawfly Larvae (green caterpillars with black heads) and Pine Needle Scale. These two critters often attack Mugo pine. A picture of pine sawfly is found at this site. http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/yglnews/yglnewsmay152008.html
Last, but not least, take into account the possibility of a disease caused by the environment in which the plant lives. This means that some requirement of the plant is not satisfied, and, therefore, the plant is weakened. This could be lack of space for root growth, air or water pollutants, extremes of moisture, heat, salt, cold, light, soil pH, and nutrients. To diagnose this type of decline, you must first rule out other diseases or insects, and then examine the site carefully. In addition, consider the possibility that the plant has suffered damage due to mechanical injury? Some diseases only occur when the plant is stressed or has been damaged by another cause. Consider transplant shock. http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-31.html
Once you have carefully detailed the symptoms, compare your list with information from the following site. http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/diagnostics/evergreen/pine/index.html If you are unable to determine exactly what is causing the problem, send a fresh branch sample along with the list of symptoms that you observed to the plant disease clinic. http://pdc.umn.edu/. Proper diagnosis is the key to adopting the proper control measures, and the details you provide from your on-site observations are invaluable.
Newly planted trees require consistent moisture. Apply 5-7 gallons of a combination of rain and tap water to the root ball once a week to a newly planted tree. Wood and bark chips mulch around the base of the tree provides a more favorable environment for the new tree roots. Spread a 3-4 inch layer of mulch around the trunk but avoid direct contact with the tree trunk. Mulch allows better infiltration of water, holds soil moisture, limits weed growth, and discourages injury from lawnmowers and weed whips.
