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spruce disease needles #440792

Asked February 18, 2018, 9:51 AM EST

Hey Team!

i bought for Christmas a young Blue Spruce and these days i notice that some of the needles are changing color and fell off the tree.
the inside of the tree is still healthy as i can see.
what is this, and what can i do ?

thank you!
Chris



County Outside United States

Expert Response

Thank you for your question about your blue spruce tree, Chris.  I'm not sure where you and your tree are (Northern or Southern hemisphere), so I don't know whether it's almost spring or almost fall where you are.  I can see some webs on the left picture, which might be a sign of spruce spider mites, which are described here.  Without knowing your season, I can't tell you which life stage the mite would be in now.

The yellowing of the needles can be a sign of several diseases, all detailed here.  To identify which it might be, you'll need to use a magnifying glass to look for fungal spores.  Alternatively, you can cut off a branch (with both yellowing and webs) and take it to your local agricultural college for identification.  I hope this proves helpful.  Good luck!
An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 19, 2018, 2:24 PM EST
Thanks so much for your reply!
i am from Greece, and now we have February...
i will follow your advices...

Have a nice evening!

Regards,
Chris,
Athens
The Question Asker Replied February 19, 2018, 2:45 PM EST
Good luck, Chris!
An Ask Extension Expert Replied February 19, 2018, 2:51 PM EST

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