Blue Spruce Needle Drop - Ask Extension
Hello! I am a tenant who has been renting a home in Downtown Lansing for a few years. It is a home built in the late 1800s and has some old trees that...
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Blue Spruce Needle Drop #832089
Asked May 25, 2023, 6:04 PM EDT
Hello! I am a tenant who has been renting a home in Downtown Lansing for a few years. It is a home built in the late 1800s and has some old trees that are crowding each other and the house. Some of the trees are Blue Spruce, and have significant needle drop and lots of dead sections. They drop pretty sizable whole branches as well. After my research about the fungal issues in Michigan regarding blue spruce, I fear these trees are far beyond treatment, since my understanding is treatment can only help the new growth from being affected and dropping. Is this something that an extension gardener could help me assess to bring to my landlord’s attention? Should I let the landlord know an arborist may need to assess these trees? Please advise! Thank you
Ingham County Michigan
Expert Response
Hi Alexia,
Thank you for the pictures, especially the up close shot, that confirms the tree is suffering from needlecast. The best article about it on the internet is from the University of Minnesota; you can find it at the link below:
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/rhizosphaera-needle-cast
I could provide written communication about the tree to support your cause; what is your ask from the landlord? Treatment? Removal? Feel free to contact me directly using the email below as we proceed.
Thank you!
-Julie
Thank you for the pictures, especially the up close shot, that confirms the tree is suffering from needlecast. The best article about it on the internet is from the University of Minnesota; you can find it at the link below:
https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/rhizosphaera-needle-cast
I could provide written communication about the tree to support your cause; what is your ask from the landlord? Treatment? Removal? Feel free to contact me directly using the email below as we proceed.
Thank you!
-Julie