Preventive Care for Cornus Nuttallii

Discussion in 'Cornus (dogwoods)' started by Rob Nuttallii, Jun 14, 2018.

  1. Rob Nuttallii

    Rob Nuttallii New Member

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    Portland, OR USA
    Hello, I planted seven cornus nuttallii from bareroot seedlings and am also growing from seed. I am applying neem oil every week because I have an aphid/sawfly problem in my yard. Is this sufficient to also prevent athracnose? Are these trees too young to worry about dogwood diseases at this time? Should I apply copper/sulfur anti-fungal spray to the plants, and when should I start? I mean do I need to start in their first year?

    Thanks very much!
     
  2. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I have a long, sad history with Cornus nuttallii and dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva) . The fungus arrived in SW BC about 1986 I believe and wreaked havoc on the local populations of native dogwoods. Those in my Burnaby garden died but not before spreading the disease to all sorts of other plants in my garden, including 100s of trilliums. Someone from the Department of Agriculture told me that Discula destructiva can infect 600 species of plants but I don't know how accurate that is.

    Hopefully the Cornus nuttallii we still see in the woods have acquired a resistance. I have one now in my Vancouver Island garden that I grew from local seed. I will not do anything to prevent anthracnose from attacking the tree because I believe from my past experience that it would be a fruitless exercise. While I might be able to control the disease while the tree is young, it would be impossible to spray it as it grew to perhaps 20 meters tall. In the meantime, the fungus could potentially spread to other plants in my garden. I don't want to go through that heartbreak again!

    No, if any signs of anthracnose appear, the tree will be cut down and hauled away. There's no room for sentiment when you're dealing with anthracnose.
     
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  3. Rob Nuttallii

    Rob Nuttallii New Member

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    That is indeed a sad story, Margot! Thank you for sharing your experience with athracnose. I knew it would be an uphill battle, but pacific dogwood is my favorite tree, so I'll do my best to keep them healthy.

    Cheers
     

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