Dead Buds on White Fir Tips

Discussion in 'Gymnosperms (incl. Conifers)' started by fredmcain, May 17, 2022.

  1. fredmcain

    fredmcain Active Member

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    Group,

    Does anybody on our list have any experience raising abies concolor (white fir)?

    I live in northern Indiana in zone 5 and have had real success in raising white fir. Of all the western conifers that I have tried to grow, white fir does about the best here.

    However, I have had issues with the terminal buds on the top of the trees that would produce the leader failing to open in the spring.

    This causes the buds on the side to shoot sideways and eventually one or more raises up and becomes the new leader. However, this process requires a season or two to re-establish a new leader then a year or so later it just happens again.

    Would anybody know what causes this? Is it an insect, a fungus or perhaps winter kill?

    Regards,
    Fred M. Cain
     
  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I'd suspect winter kill, I've seen similar symptoms with the much less hardy Abies pindrow in Denmark, where it is only marginally hardy, just after a severe winter.
     
  3. fredmcain

    fredmcain Active Member

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    Michael,

    I, too, have been suspicious of winter kill in the past. However, this past winter was extraordinarily mild. Temps never even got down to 0°F. White fir in its native habit out West can survive much colder temperatures than that so now I'm beginning to wonder if it could be something else. Perhaps a fungus or an insect. Or, could it just be, that this is something that fir trees do naturally? Beats me.
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    No idea what "0°F" is. White Fir can survive down to below -30°C, but generally with relatively low humidity; I don't know if higher humidity might increase problems for it. Higher humidity in summer can certainly cause problems (encourages fungal diseases), but I'd expect that to show up in needle death rather than bud damage. So it remains a bit of a mystery.
     
  5. fredmcain

    fredmcain Active Member

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    Michael,

    0°F comes out to around -17 to -18°C. So, I don't think winter kill could be an issue. Or could it? Perhaps an early hard freeze in the fall might somehow damage the buds that would be needed to open the following spring. We did not get a late freeze here in the spring as bud break approached so it can't be that either.

    Where I live (northeastern Indiana - zone 5) white fir does remarkably well other than the problem with the buds. I have even found tiny seedlings that germinated around the base of one of my larger trees suggesting that it might be capable of naturalizing here.

    Regards,
    Fred M. Cain
     
  6. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Thanks! No, -18° shouldn't harm it. A mystery then!

    Try transplanting some of the self-sown seedlings to new good permanent positions and see if they are afflicted or not.
     
  7. fredmcain

    fredmcain Active Member

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    Michael,

    Actually, I did transplant some of those and after three seasons they are doing quite well. No sign of dead terminal buds yet but they're still young enough that I can't tell yet.
     

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