A representative of the spruce genus, blue or prickly spruce comes from North America, where in the natural environment it prefers to grow at high altitudes in river valleys with moist soil. The tree has a rhombic shape, it is distinguished by a special touch on the needles: it is grayish-green and even bright blue.

This tree is considered a decorative tree - therefore it is used as a decorating element in landscape design. If you notice any changes in the condition of the tree and suspect a disease, then this article is for you.

Why does blue spruce turn green

There is no need to fear such a change in the color of the needles - this is a natural process. The blue color of the spruce spruce is characteristic of the species because the needles have on their surface a special coating of vegetable wax. This protective layer, like a metallic tint, under different lighting conditions and due to the different coating thickness, may appear bright blue and even silver.

Young needles do not have time to become covered with such a layer, so at first they are green. From a chemical point of view, wax coating is the result of an antioxidant system of wood protection. If you notice that in the autumn season the blue spruce has lost its color, then do not worry: the protective reactions are slowed down at this time of the year, as well as photosynthesis. Soon, the tree will begin to turn green again.

Why do blue needles turn pink

Conifers can blush, pink and then crumble due to improper transplantation. The surface roots of the tree go a long distance from the trunk, so there is a danger when digging up to damage the root system.

Important! Most often, spruce is sick for two reasons: due to the presence of infections or mistakes by gardeners.

In order to help ate with the loss of color of the needles, you need to remove the top layer of soil and expand the radius of the circle from which the earth is removed. This is done so that the peripheral roots go to the surface of the soil. A drainage ditch will help in draining excess water. You can also help by processing: you need to water the tree with a solution of zircon (4 drops per 1 liter of water) once a week.

It is worth listing a few more omissions that arise when agricultural machinery is not observed:

• buried planting (contributes to the occurrence of fusarium - a disease of fungi);
• water scarcity;
• openness to severe frosts;
• breaking branches under the weight of snow;
• late landing
• danger of winter burns.

Pests and diseases are described in the article below.

Why do branches and needles blacken

A fungal infection is able to take advantage of increased humidity under appropriate weather conditions and if the gardener did not remove snow from under the tree (and cleaning the snow cover is useful for ventilating the plant). If mistakes are made, the spruce will begin to blacken. So it is important to rake wet spring snow from the spruces. Further help in controlling fungi is to treat fungicides in the spring after snow has melted.

You can prevent the disease in advance - for this you need to cut the tree in spring and treat it with a stimulant. Then use a disinfectant, such as Previkur Energy, against fungi.

This type of treatment is also suitable:

1. Fundazole or copper oxychloride. Twice or three times at intervals of 1-2 weeks.
2. Removing and burning diseased branches.
3. Destruction of dead trees.

Important! In order to avoid frostbite of young seedlings of coniferous species, it is useful to cover them with spruce branches or cover them with craft paper.

Reasons for drying

The main non-infectious and non-parasitic reasons for the drying of blue spruce can be both dry soil and the presence of burns caused by the sun. In coniferous needles, affected by sunlight, the process of photosynthesis and respiration is disrupted, which harms the whole tree. It dies over time, dries. Against burns, a small shade helps young seedlings. You can make a canopy or a screen.A tree loves moist places, but you need to plant a plant not in a hole, but on a small hill, an elevation. The roots reach the surface far from the trunk. The tree dries in waterlogged soil, and in the ground, in which it does not receive the right amount of moisture, it dries. Tracheomycosis contributes to the drying of the tree. The needles turn yellow from this infection, then turn red, and the spruce soon dies.

Did you know? After ten or more years, the main root of the spruce dies, and other parts of the root system perform its function.

The appearance of rust on spruce

Winter burns contribute to the appearance of rust in early spring. Snow reflects rays of light, which makes them dangerous for young trees, which suffer from burns in the cold season more strongly than in summer. With rust, small red spots can be identified on the needles (needles redden). The source is mushrooms. There are spores inside these marks on the needles. Soon they fly apart and hit the whole spruce.The most affected parts of the tree must be removed and destroyed.

If yellow-brown strips (brown over time) on the needles or their complete yellowing are observed, it is necessary to spray with fungicides for ten days.

To be processed:

• needles;
• branches
• trunk.

Blue Spruce Diseases

The list of diseases characteristic of blue spruce is not as wide as the list of coniferous diseases in general. The most common are fungal infections. Mushrooms such as Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii (causes browning of needles) and Kabatina (contributes to necrosis of the upper shoots) stand out in terms of the amount of damage done recently.

Did you know? Vitamin C-rich coniferous wine was drunk by the famous captain James Cook.

In addition to rust, it is worth mentioning other diseases of blue spruce:

• ulcerative cancer (ulcers and swelling on the branches and bark, which block the access of oxygen from the needles);
• necrosis (red growths on the trunk and branches, causing the death of the tree);
• Schütte disease (an extensive and diverse fungal disease), which can be divided into types: brown shute of early spring (black mycelium), ordinary - in late spring, snowy - occurs in autumn (the appearance of brown spots and then black fruit bodies);
• tracheomycosis (affects the root system of spruce).

Treatment and prevention

Coniferous gardeners are aware of preventive measures to help prevent a particular disease. Use the list of tips and follow important steps:

1. Spraying with fungicides. Both crown and roots should be treated with watering with drugs.
2. The use of copper-containing compounds. Useful at the beginning of the growing season.
3. Removing affected branches. Destruction of dead plants.
4. Sprinkling of the root circle with ash.

But if the preventive actions did not have an effect, and the tree still got sick, then it is necessary to treat urgently, while therapeutic measures should be adhered to. There are two main types of funds: fungicides and insecticides. The former fight against fungi, the latter against pests.

Did you know? In one fir cone there are about a hundred seeds.

The table lists the diseases and medicines (or methods) with which they ate. Be sure to read the instructions for use of each individual drug, pay attention to the intervals, dates and times characteristic of the treatment.

Pests of spruce

There are several types of insects that harm spruces. Among them are:

• sucking;
• coniferous;
• stem.

The first include:

• aphids;
• Hermes
• scale insects;
• worms;
• spider mites.

Symptoms of aphid damage - yellowing of needles. The struggle consists in washing with soapy water and cutting off the affected areas. Because of the hermes, a sticky white substance begins to appear on the needles, which then bends.

Removing damaged areas and processing with Fufanon or Karbofos will help. If a cobweb is visible at the tips of the needles, and then the needles fall, darkening, then it is clear that the tree is infected with a tick. Spraying with colloidal sulfur or acaricides is required.

The pine sawflies include sawflies, moths, butterflies and their caterpillars. The needles turn red and brown. To fight, dig the soil around the tree, remove the larvae and then use insecticides. Bark beetles, barbel and spruce bark beetles are stem pests. The needles grow dull and crumble, holes are visible on the trunk. Insecticides are used, but fighting bark beetles is quite difficult.

With the right methods of transplanting blue spruce, maintaining its condition with modest care is quite simple. This beautiful tree rarely gets sick. To avoid infection or pest attacks, preventive measures must be taken periodically. In this case, prickly spruce will be a great decoration in your garden. Like all conifers, this tree saturates the air with oxygen, due to which it performs an important function in the ecosystem.