Hi folks, My live Christmas tree seems to develop a white growth of some sort on the bark. I noticed a few spots a couple of days ago, sprayed it with the generic bug-killer i had handy (it was the only idea i had, for a quick reaction), and now it seems it didn’t bother the fungus at all, cause it’s spreading. So far it’s only at the bottom of the tree, mostly on the trunk, but i spotted a few on the branches as well (see detail in photo). Otherwise, as you can see in the wider angle photos, the tree looks alright (at least to me, and I’m no connoisseur unfortunately). I bought it this December and was planning to repot it in a month or so, to move it outside in the garden. It stayed a few days inside, for Christmas, and since then it’s been staying in the conservatory, at around 4-10 degrees, depending on the weather. You can see he’s small in the Christmas photo. Please any advice anyone?! Many anticipated thanks for your help! Ana : )
Adelgids? http://forestry.about.com/od/forestinsects/p/sect_com_bwa.htm http://www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/piercing_sucking/adelgids_general.html Greenhouses
Hey, those bastards really seem the likely candidate! I'm gonna look in store for something to make them go away. What were they thinking, feeding on my tree?! Many thanks for the help, Hartley Botanic! : )
Base of tree looks as though severely rootbound. Roots should be inspected before planting out, if roots cannot at this stage by opened up and spread out, kept in this orientation specimen should be discarded - planting a tall-growing tree as this is likely to be with deformed roots may result in problems with it falling onto structures, vehicles or worse years later, when it pivots over on the fulcrum of roots it was cursed with. Growers over here appear universally entirely lax about managing roots of container-grown nursery stock as badly rootbound stock is pandemic in local outlets. Even multi-million dollar famous operations that advertise their superior quality and methodology routinely ship out truckloads of stock with hopeless root systems, due to failure to pot on in a timely manner or correct deformed roots when potting on.
Wow, i had no idea that could be a problem! : O Sounds scary to say the least. I had another fir tree in a pot a few years ago. Same thing, bought it from the store and repotted myself at home. (I love Christmas trees but am so sad to dispose of them after the season, i'm always trying to keep them alive as long as i can). It was fine for a couple of years, but then i had to leave it behind because i moved country. So I don't know if there were same problems with the roots... Anyways, as what you're saying sounds complicated enough, I will ask a professional tree minder to do the root checking and repotting then. Thanks for the heads up, Ron! : )
Planting methods fact sheet. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda chalker-scott/FactSheets/Planting fact sheet.pdf
Thank you, guys! I saved those planting tips, Ron : ) Got some more insecticide and sprayed on him over the weekend. The guys at the garden centre didn't really know about the wooly adelgid thingie or the coniferous pests, so they gave me something for the wooly aphids... If this doesn't work i'll just follow the recipe I found online for soap spray (http://www.saveourhemlocks.org/controls/my_prop.shtml#treating), I just hope these things will only bother the insects and not the needles... Strange though, I haven't really seen the insects at all, only those white marks they leave behind... Keep you posted : )
I suppose the little pests themselves are pretty small...? I hope my guess put you on the right track - or at least hasn't hindered! I'm still learning but adelgids did seem to fit the bill :) Do keep us posted on things though!
