How to save spruce from drying out: reasons and why needles crumble, what to do

Coniferous plants are considered quite popular. They have excellent decorative qualities, and therefore are often used in landscape design. Such crops are actively used to decorate garden plots, parks and squares. In order for plants to retain their decorative effect, they need to be properly looked after. However, not every gardener knows how to save spruce from drying out.

Why spruce dries

If the needles dry and fall off almost immediately after planting, this indicates the low quality of the planting material used.

The most common cause of problems is an overdried root system. Unscrupulous sellers often neglect the rules for keeping seedlings. In addition, they often use various hormones that accelerate the growth of crops.

Also, the cause of falling needles in young trees may be a violation of planting conditions. The provoking factors of this group include the following:

violation of the timing of landing operations;
violation of the technology of the procedure;
Wrong choice of variety and variety of crop.

If the needles dry up a few years after planting, it is worth analyzing the growth conditions of the culture. The reasons for the appearance of problems in this case include the following:

changing the average soil moisture parameters - the ground under the spruce should be moist, but not too wet, so the culture is watered regularly, but little by little;
lack of sunlight - spruces need partial shade, while in shady places they develop poorly;
lack of useful elements in the soil - a problem can occur with a deficiency of phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen;
too much nutrients;
effect of waste products of animals and birds.

Drying of needles may be due to the attacks of some pests. Among them, it is worth highlighting such insects:

Spruce false shield. In this case, at the end of May, small brown balls form on the shoots. This is what female pests look like. A month later, they lay eggs, from which parasites appear that absorb spruce juice. Affected needles turn yellow and fall off.
Spruce sawfly. Parasite females lay their eggs in the needles of the shoots of the current year. It is possible to identify the pest by the accumulation of blackish caterpillars at the ends of the shoots. They consume the needles and result in the exposure of the affected branches.

When plants are damaged, you can use biological products such as Lepidocid, Bitoxibacillin, or chemical insecticides - Aliot, Pinocide.

Before the first use, the substance must be tested on one tree. If an accumulation of parasites is detected, spruce can be treated with Pinocide. The tool should give an effect within a day.

Diseases and how to treat them

One of the most common problems in growing spruce, which leads to drying and falling of needles, is the development of various pathologies. Pathogenic microorganisms absorb the juices of young branches, which provokes the suppression of biochemical processes and cell division of affected tissues. Falling needles is considered the most striking sign of the development of infection and leads to the slow death of the culture. In such a situation, special preparations are required. And you need to start doing this as soon as possible.

Rust

This pathology is considered one of the most dangerous infections that develops when growing crops. It is considered non-specific, because it actively spreads between all plants on the site.

Various fungal microorganisms from the Urediniomycetes class lead to the development of this disease. They affect both needles and bark of conifers. With the appearance of this pathology, a lot of spindle-shaped formations are formed on the plant, which have an orange or yellow-orange color. They attack needles and tree bark.

As the pathology progresses, mucous secretions are formed in the affected areas, which are distinguished by a viscous consistency. Bordeaux mixture is considered the most effective drug for fighting infection. You can also use such tools as "Abiga-Peak", "Ordan", "Oksihom", "Khom". If the pathology occurs in the heat, it is recommended to use any sulfur-based fungicides.

Necrosis

This term is a disease that is associated with putrefactive lesions of shoots. It is caused by various pathogenic fungi. This pathology is considered non-specific, because it is rapidly spreading throughout the garden, affecting all plants and soil.

The first signs of infection include a change in the color of the bark and needles. The affected areas take on a reddish tint. After some time, small brown-black tubercles appear on the shoots. However, these areas may not dry and die immediately. Dry fragments begin to crumble when the culture is severely damaged.

There are no specific medical procedures in this case. To get rid of necrosis, it is necessary to cut and dispose of the affected fragments. When the tree reaches 15 years old, it will form a stable immunity to fungal necrosis.

Schütte

Only coniferous plants suffer from this disease. The cause of the development of the schütte is the infection of ascomycete fungi. In this case, the pathology has several varieties:

Real - most often affects immature seedlings. With the development of the disease in spring and early summer, the needles become brown and die off.By the arrival of autumn, small yellow dots appear on the needles. Gradually they increase in size and acquire a dark color. In these places dotted apothecia appear. They are fruiting bodies that retain the fungus. With a strong fall of the needles, there is a risk of crop death.
Ordinary - this form of the disease is caused by another type of fungus. At the same time, the pathology has the same symptoms as the real schütte.
Snow - fungal microorganisms that cause this kind of pathology begin to develop under the snow already at 0 degrees. In this case, a gradual development of the mycelium film is observed. As the disease progresses, it infects neighboring crops. After the snow melts, the affected branches turn brown and die. Affected needles become red-red. As they die, they become gray in color. At the same time, the needles crumble, but remain on the branches. By autumn, black apothecia are formed there. In winter, before snow falls, spores from there spread to he althy needles.In snowy regions, the schütte can completely destroy conifers.
Brown - This disease is also called brown snow mold. Such a pathology leads to the defeat of not only spruces, but also pines, firs, cedars, junipers. Infection occurs in the autumn season. At the same time, the fungus continues to develop in winter.

It is important to consider that the risk of developing schütte increases when spruces are grown in shady areas. Also, the disease occurs with crowded plantings and a large amount of snow. To avoid the development of pathology, it is required to choose seedlings of resistant breeds and provide them with proper care. It includes thinning out plantings and the timely use of fungicidal preparations. At the same time, it is important not only to spray the needles, but also to spill the soil.

Vertun

Infection with pathogenic fungi Melampsora pinitorqua leads to the development of this pathology.During the active development of microorganisms, the upper fragments of the affected branches are covered with an orange or yellow-orange bloom. After some time, the infected shoots are deformed. At the same time, their tops dry out and die. This entails shedding needles. Most often, the infection affects young plants. At the same time, trees older than 10 years almost do not suffer from this pathology.

Eliminate this disease can be quite difficult. Fungal spores are highly resistant. They are able to survive in fallen needles for several years. The most effective remedy that can be used to treat the disease is a solution of Bordeaux liquid with a concentration of 1%. As an alternative, it is permissible to use "Polycarbacin". Its concentration should be 1%.

Fusariosis

This pathology is quite common. Various fungi from the genus Fusarium lead to its appearance.The first symptom of pathology can be considered a massive change in the color of the needles. In this case, the saturated green color becomes red. Gradually, the needles die off and crumble, the crown thins, and the shoots dry up.

To eliminate the pathology, it is recommended to spray the plantings at least twice. This is required to be done with an interval of 14-20 days. If this recommendation is violated, the procedure will not give the desired results. Fusarium should be treated immediately after its detection. To do this, it is important to use high-quality antifungal drugs. The most effective substances include Fitosporin-M, Maxim, Fundazol.

Cancer

This term refers to a whole complex of various infectious pathologies. However, spruces quite often suffer from the so-called shoot cancer. This is a complex form of the disease, which is provoked by specific fungi Ascocalyx abietina Schlaepfer-Bernhard.

As the pathology develops, a slight reddening appears near the base of the affected needles. After some time, the infection causes the needles to deform, forming a kind of umbrella. Gradually, these formations crumble.

It is impossible to cure this pathology, since now there are no specific remedies that can cope with the causative agent of the disease. Complex fungicides can stop the progression of the infection. However, the tree will still gradually dry out and, as a result, die. Therefore, it is better to uproot and dispose of a culture affected by cancer. It is also necessary to get rid of fallen needles.

How to prevent future infections

To prevent infection of spruce and the development of dangerous pathologies, it is important to adhere to a number of recommendations. In this case, you need to do the following:

Spray spruce with fungicides. This should be done in early spring and autumn. This procedure helps to get rid of many fungal microorganisms.
Follow the landing rules. When planting several plants, it is important to avoid thickening them.
Regularly water the plants and sanitize the crown. Also important is the timely introduction of nutrients.
Clean the area from fallen needles.
Thin out branches and sanitary pruning.

Spruce drying may be due to violation of agrotechnical recommendations or the development of various pathologies. Also, the reason may be pest attacks. To avoid problems, it is important to properly care for the plant and adhere to basic infection prevention recommendations.