Coniferous trees, as a rule, are perennials and serve as decoration for the house and garden all year round. The most common in landscaping are coniferous trees such as pine, larch, spruce, yew, thuja. If the tree is still young or undersized, it is not difficult to care for it and fight its diseases and pests. But young plants are more susceptible to disease. Adult trees that have gained strength and growth no longer need any care, with the exception of watering.

Gardeners often have a question: why does the needles on the trees turn brown? There can be many reasons for this: firstly, for coniferous trees very great importance soil and growing conditions. They should not be planted in dry and windy places; conifers need high humidity air and soil. Despite this, waterlogging and waterlogging can lead to tree disease in the form of yellowing of the needles and its abscission. The same thing can happen for the opposite reason - after a dry summer, coniferous trees dry and lose their needles and even branches.

Spruces and yews are especially demanding on high soil and air humidity. Larch and pine are more resistant to drought. The color of the needles and its condition also depend on the composition of the soil, yellowing of the needles may be due to a lack of iron, trees grow best on slightly acidic soil. The lack of trace elements must be compensated for by fertilizing with fertilizers for conifers.

After winter frosts and cold spring, the roots and branches of heat-loving coniferous trees freeze slightly, the needles turn brown and die. Some breeds of conifers trees do not tolerate urban air polluted by exhaust gases and industrial waste. The needles turn yellow, starting at the ends, and die off.

The cause of rust on the needles can also be a serious disease - shute. The causative agent is the fungus Lophodermium selitiosum. Mostly young and weak trees are sick even in nurseries. Pine trees are especially affected. Gradually, from spring, the needles turn brown, fall off, and the tree may even die. On the needles in autumn, you can see yellow dots that increase and darken. The spores of the fungus remain on the crumbled needles.

The fight against schütte is in processing planting material fungicides, a good effect is given by spraying with copper-containing preparations (Hom, Oksikhom, Bordeaux mixture). Rusty trees can be caused by fungi of the department Basidiomycota, class Uredinomycetes. There are several types of mushrooms, some affect needles, branches, cones, can coexist side by side not only on conifers, but also on deciduous trees and shrubs, on the grass. In the spring, on the needles, you can see yellow aesiopustules that look like bubbles.

How to deal with rust on coniferous trees? It can be recommended, depending on the causative agent of the disease, not to plant nearby plants affected by the same type of fungus, pines - away from aspen and poplar, larch - from black currants. Affected shoots must be removed in a timely manner. Treatment with immuno-enhancing drugs and top dressing with microelements is necessary. For the prevention of diseases, you can spray with copper-containing preparations. Carefully choose planting material.

AT last years coniferous crops are widely used in landscape design city ​​parks, squares, streets, and suburban areas. Probably a significant share in the preference of broadleaf crops to conifers belongs to their year-round attractiveness, harvesting of fallen leaves and deceptive opinion about the absence of diseases in conifers. This is the main mistake of gardeners who decide to replace or significantly replenish the landscape with coniferous crops.

Almost all types can grow in a summer cottage coniferous crops, especially in the middle and northern strip of Russia. But today, southerners, too, have decided to flood the city's recreational areas and home gardens with these attractive crops.

First you need to familiarize yourself with the catalog of conifers and select species that easily adapt to the environment and can take root in new conditions for them. Conifers in an unusual environment take root hard, lose their immunity and easily fall ill with infectious diseases (rot, dew, fungal and bacterial infections). Therefore, in the first years (5-7 years), they need a comprehensive and very thorough care.

If optimal conditions are created for the conifers in the country, but they still have a diseased appearance (do not grow, individual branches dry or the whole tree, etc.), you need to immediately determine the type of damage that can be divided into 2 groups:

• non-infectious causes of the disease.
• infectious diseases.

Non-infectious diseases of coniferous plants

The causes of non-communicable diseases can be the following:

• low-quality planting material,
• mechanical injury to the seedling,
• underdeveloped root system,
• lack of certain nutrients
• sunburn by the spring sun, when the roots are not yet functioning in the cold soil,
• spring frosts, causing cracking and death of the bark,
• excessive moisture (even stagnant water) of the root system and others.

This type of "disease" is not transmitted to other seedlings and can be corrected during plant care. After all the procedures, it is useful to treat such seedlings and adult plants with biological preparations. This will increase the resistance of plants to adverse factors. environment and miscarriages. Of the preparations, we can recommend rootin, super humisol, zircon, immunodeficiency, siliplant and other modern biologically active preparations that are safe for human and animal health.

Infectious diseases of coniferous plants

Infectious diseases are those that can be naturally or artificially transmitted to other plants. These diseases include soil-borne fungi and bacterial diseases(fusarium and root rot, alternariosis, mold, infectious drying of branches, rust, cancer and others). The above diseases are characteristic of fruit and other broad-leaved crops and can affect conifers. But conifers have diseases that are unique to this type of vegetation. This is a Shutte (brown, snowy, real). The causative agent of the disease are some species of ascomycete fungi that penetrate the wood of conifers and cause the death of plants.

Shutte brown, snowy, real

Schutte strikes from coniferous junipers, pines, fir, spruce, cedars, cypress, arborvitae.

Development of the disease

The mycelium of the fungus brown schütte develops under the snow at a temperature of + 0.5 * C and above. After the snow has melted, brown needles affected by the disease are visible on coniferous trees. On the diseased needles, a black-gray cobweb coating is clearly visible - an overgrown mycelium. If you look closely (through a magnifying glass), black dots are clearly visible - the fruiting bodies of the pathogen fungus. Young plants with weakened immunity after transplantation are especially affected. On juniper, the schütte appears on the old needles later - at the beginning of summer. The needles acquire a yellow-brown color or brown color. By the end of summer, dark dots are visible on the tips of the needles - fruiting bodies with fungal spores. The fungus develops best in moist conditions on weakened plants. The mycelium quickly fills the wood, cutting off the possibility of obtaining nutrition for the needles. The needles turn yellow, dry, almost do not fall off. Bags with ripe spores quickly spread in the air and affect healthy needles. Fallen snow creates the necessary conditions for overwintering. With the slow melting of snow in the spring, the disease has the opportunity for further rapid spread of the disease.

Real and snow schütte affects different types of pine. A harmful fungus develops at a temperature of about 0 * C under the snow. During the spring and early summer period, the fungus grows intensively, affecting wood. Spore-bearing bags ripen in autumn. The affected needles turn yellow, becoming red-brown. Trees, especially young ones, die.

Protecting conifers from shute

Positive results provide comprehensive protection measures.

• Coniferous species that are resistant to shute damage are planted in summer cottages and other areas.
• Young seedlings should have significant isolation from mature trees and shrubs. conifers.
• On the summer cottages in autumn, fallen diseased needles must be removed, diseased and dried branches are cut. Waste is burned.
• During the summer with preventive and therapeutic purpose conifers process 1-2% Bordeaux mixture or other copper-containing preparations, interspersed with treatment with fungicidal preparations (scoring, HOM, Abiga-Peak, pure flower, lime-sulfur decoction and others). For preventive purposes, spring processing, and diseased plants are treated after 10-15-20 days with drugs in doses according to the recommendations. You can treat conifers with tank mixtures, after checking the preparations for compatibility. Preparations treat not only plants, but also the soil. Nice results provides treatment of the soil and the above-ground part with biofungicides phytosporin, hamair, planriz.

Fusarium and root rot of conifers

The causative agent of Fusarium (tracheomycosis) and root rot are soil pathogenic fungi. Spruce, fir, pine, larch are most often affected. Outwardly, the disease on adult trees and shrubs manifests itself in the reddening of the needles and its shedding. A feature is the disease of the middle part of the crown in all conifers. The exception is pine, in which the needles turn yellow on individual shoots. In young plantings, the roots begin to rot. Seedlings turn brown, and after the roots die, the plant collapses on its side.

Most often, plantings of conifers located in areas with a high occurrence are affected. groundwater. When planting on heavy floating soils, without additional preparation landing pit. In both cases, good drainage and saturation is required. soil mixture loosening materials (humus, peat and others).

Protective measures

First of all, we divert underground or accumulated after snow melting and heavy rains, water, so that oxygen can flow to the roots. We treat the soil and root system plants. We spill the root system with a solution of cartocide or foundationol. When processing plants in summer cottages, especially if there are small children in the family, it is better to use biological products (biofungicides) - phytosporin, gamair, alirin, planriz. From them it is possible to prepare tank mixtures and simultaneously process the crown and soil under plants. Biologics are effective when treated systematically throughout the warm weather season.

Coniferous plant rust

The fungus mainly affects larch and pine. In spring, yellow-orange spots appear on the needles. Later, the mycelium forms spore-bearing bags. The needles are covered with brown spots. The peculiarity of rust damage is that the individual stages of development of the fungus pass at different herbaceous plants and with a good combination of circumstances, it affects coniferous crops (wind, wet weather). Blister rust can affect the trunk and perennial branches of Weymouth pine and Scots pine. Yellow-orange spots appear in the ruptures of the bark - mycelium with spores.

Protective measures

Treat plants with fungicides topaz (scoring) or strobe. Repeat the treatments 2-3 times in 15-20 days. The tank mixture of these preparations with the addition of cartocid is especially effective. For tank mix, we prepare a solution of each fungicide separately and, after checking for compatibility, we combine it together. We carry out the concentration of solutions and the processing of plants according to the instructions.

Altenariosis, mold and infectious drying of branches

Altenariosis and gray mold most often affect the aerial parts of young juniper and arborvitae. The disease manifests itself in the form of gray-brown or blackish spots. Shoots lose their decorative effect. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the spots consist of fungal conidia, which serve as a source of plant infection. Plants get sick with thickened, unventilated plantings, insufficient lighting. Infectious drying of branches is caused by several fungi and in appearance resembles rust damage. The infection persists in bark cracks and plant remains of unharvested needles, weeds, and other semi-rotten debris.

Protective measures

• Sanitary pruning of diseased and thickening branches. Rarefaction of the crown and above-ground parts of plants. All sections must be treated with a garden pitch, a solution blue vitriol or oil paint to prevent further infection of plants.
• Starting from early spring and throughout the warm period, systematically spray in 20-30 days with Bordeaux liquid, abiga-peak preparations, fast, pure flowers. You can prepare a tank mix from the above and other recommended preparations and spray the plants. When using tank mixes, the number of treatments can be reduced to 3 per season. Like the previous described diseases, altenarios and molds, infectious drying of the branches are well removed by the above-named biological products.

The article presents the main, most common diseases of coniferous ornamental plants most often planted in summer cottages and house adjoining areas. It must be said that everything fungal infections quite well cured by biological preparations. Therefore, at home, look for ways to protect trees from infection with drugs that do not harm the health of the family and pets. The article presents some of the most commonly used chemical and biological preparations. They are not a dogma against diseases. Daily chemical industry offers new more effective drugs. You can independently choose those that are suitable for your types of conifers grown at home.

They do not lose their attractiveness and decorativeness throughout the year, and, as a rule, live longer than many hardwoods. They are an excellent material for creating compositions due to the diverse shape of the crown and the color of the needles. The most widely used in professional and amateur landscaping are such coniferous shrubs like junipers, yew, thuja; from wood - pine, larch, spruce. Therefore, information about their main diseases seems to be relevant. The issue of treating conifers is especially acute in the spring, when you have to deal with burning, winter desiccation and infectious diseases on plants weakened after winter.

First of all, it should be mentioned non-communicable diseases, caused by the negative impact on the growth and development of coniferous plants of adverse environmental conditions. Although conifers are demanding on high soil and air moisture, excessive moisture associated with natural waterlogging, raising the level ground water, spring floods and heavy autumn precipitation, leads to yellowing and necrosis of the needles. The same symptoms very often appear due to lack of moisture in the soil and low air humidity.

Tui, spruce, yew are very sensitive to drying out of the roots, so immediately after planting them trunk circles it is recommended to mulch with peat and grass cut from lawns, if possible, maintain mulching throughout the entire period of their growth, and water regularly. Pines, arborvitae and junipers are the most drought-resistant. In the first year after planting, it is advisable to spray young plants with water in the evening hours and shade them during the hot period. The vast majority of conifers are shade-tolerant; when grown in open sunny places, they may lag behind in growth, their needles may turn yellow and even die off. On the other hand, many of them cannot stand strong shading, especially light-requiring pines and larches. For protection against sunburn bark, it can be whitewashed with lime or special whitewash in early spring or at the end of autumn.

Condition and appearance plants largely depend on the availability of nutrients and the balance of their ratios. The lack of iron in the soil leads to yellowing and even whitening of the needles on individual shoots; with a lack of phosphorus, young needles acquire a red-violet hue; with a nitrogen deficiency, plants grow noticeably worse, become chlorotic. Best growth and the development of plants occurs on drained and well-cultivated soils provided with nutrients. Slightly acidic or neutral soil is preferred. It is recommended to fertilize with special fertilizers intended for coniferous plants. In suburban areas, conifers may suffer from frequent visits by dogs and cats, causing an excessive concentration of salts in the soil. On thuja and juniper in such cases, shoots with red needles appear, subsequently drying out.

Low temperatures in winter and spring frosts cause freezing of the crown and roots, while the needles become dry, acquire a reddish color, die off, and the bark cracks. The most winter-hardy are spruces, pines, fir, arborvitae, junipers. The branches of coniferous plants can break off from the necklace and snow break in winter.

Many conifers are sensitive to air pollution from harmful industrial and automotive gaseous impurities. This is manifested, first of all, by yellowing, starting from the ends of the needles and their falling off (dying off).

Conifers are rarely severely affected infectious diseases, although in some cases they can suffer greatly from them. Young plants are generally less resistant to a complex of non-infectious and infectious diseases, their resistance increases with age.

Types of soil-dwelling fungi genera Python(pitium) and Rhizoctonia(rhizoctonia) lead roots of seedlings to decay and die off often cause significant losses of young plants in schools and containers.

The causative agents of tracheomycotic wilt are most often anamorphic fungi. Fusarium oxysporum, which are soil pathogens. Affected roots turn brown, mycelium penetrates into vascular system and fills it with its biomass, which stops the access of nutrients, and the affected plants, starting from top shoots wilt. The needles turn yellow, redden and fall off, and the plants themselves gradually dry out. Seedlings and young plants are most affected. The infection persists in plants, plant debris and spreads with infected planting material or infected soil. The development of the disease contributes to: stagnant water in low areas, lack of sunlight.

Healthy planting material should be used as a protective measure. Timely remove all dried plants with roots, as well as affected plant residues. For preventive purposes, short-term soaking of young plants with an open root system is carried out in a solution of one of the preparations: Baktofit, Vitaros, Maxim. At the first symptoms, the soil is shed with a solution of one of the biological products: Fitosporin-M, Alirin-B, Gamair. For the purpose of prevention, the soil is shed with Fundazol.

Gray mold (rot) affects the aerial parts of young plants, especially in unventilated areas with a strong thickening of plantings and insufficient lighting. Affected shoots become gray-brown, as if covered with a layer of dust.

In addition to these diseases, which are widespread on hardwoods, there are diseases that are characteristic only for conifers. First of all, they are shute, the causative agents of which are some types of ascomycete fungi.

real schütte Lophodermium seditiosum- one of the main causes of premature fall of pine needles. Mostly young plants are affected, incl. in open ground nurseries, and weakened trees, which can lead to their death due to heavy fall of needles. During spring and early summer, the needles turn brown and fall off. In autumn, small yellowish dots are noticeable on the needles, gradually growing and turning brown, later black dotted fruiting bodies - apothecia are formed on the dead, crumbling needles - apothecia, with which the fungus is preserved.

Common Schutte Pine, which has similar symptoms and development cycle causes Lophodermium pinastri. In autumn or more often in the spring of the next year, the needles turn yellow or become reddish-brown and die off. Then, the fruiting bodies of the fungus are formed on it in the form of small black strokes or dots, blackening and increasing by autumn. Thin dark transverse lines appear on the needles. Moderately warm weather, drizzling rains and dews contribute to the dispersal of spores and infection of needles. Weakened plants in nurseries and cultures up to 3 years of age and self-sowing pines are more often affected and die.

Called by a fungus Phlacidium infestans, which affects mainly pine species. It is especially harmful in snowy areas, where it sometimes completely destroys the renewal of Scots pine.

It develops under snow cover and develops relatively quickly even at temperatures around 0 degrees. Mycelium grows from needle to needle and often further to neighboring plants. After the snow melts, dead needles and often shoots turn brown and die. Diseased plants are covered with grayish mycelial films that quickly disappear. During the summer, the needles die off, becoming reddish-red, later light gray. It crumbles, but almost does not fall off. At the twisted pine ( Pinus contorta) dead needles are more reddish than those of Scots pine. By autumn, apothecia become visible, like small dark dots scattered over the needles. Ascospores from these are spread by air currents onto living pine needles just before they are usually covered with snow. The development of the fungus is favored by drizzling rains, snowfall and melting in autumn, mild snowy winters, and long spring.

Brown Shutte, or brown snow mold of conifers affects pines, fir, spruces, cedars, junipers, is caused by a fungus Herpotrichia nigra. It occurs more often in nurseries, young stands, self-sowing and young undergrowth. This disease manifests itself in early spring after the snow has melted, and the primary infection of needles with bag spores occurs in the fall. The disease develops under snow at a temperature not lower than 0.5 ° C. The lesion is detected after the snow has melted: on the brown dead needles, a black-gray cobweb coating of mycelium is noticeable, and then dotted fruiting bodies of the pathogen fungus. The needles do not fall off for a long time, thin branches die off. The development of the disease is facilitated by high humidity, the presence of depressions in the sown areas, and the thickening of plants.

Signs of defeat juniper schütte(causative agent - fungus Lophodermium juniperinum) appear at the beginning of summer on last year's needles, which acquire a dirty yellow or brown color and do not crumble for a long time. From the end of summer, round black up to 1.5 mm fruiting bodies are visible on the surface of the needles, in which marsupial sporulation of the fungus persists in winter. The disease develops intensively on weakened plants, in humid conditions, it can lead to plant death.

Protective measures against schütte include the selection of planting material that is resistant in origin, giving the plants as much resistance as possible, timely thinning, and the use of fungicidal sprays. Shaded plants are most susceptible to the disease. The harmfulness of shyutte increases with high snow cover and its long-term melting. In forests and parks, instead of natural regeneration, planting of plants of the required origin is recommended. Planted plants are more evenly distributed over the area, making it more difficult for mycelium to infect one plant from another, in addition, they quickly reach a height above the critical level. In those areas where schütte damages Scotch pine, you can use lodgepole pine or European spruce, which is extremely rarely affected. Only healthy planting material should be used. It is recommended to remove fallen diseased needles and cut off dried branches in a timely manner.

Fungicidal treatments must be used in nurseries. Spraying with copper and sulfur preparations (for example, Bordeaux mixture, Abiga-Peak or HOM, lime-sulfur decoction) in early spring and autumn effectively reduces the development of diseases. When the disease manifests itself in strong degree in the summer, spraying is repeated.

Of particular importance for conifers are rust diseases, caused by fungi of the Basidiomycota department, class Uredinomycetes, affecting the needles and bark of shoots, virtually all of their pathogens are heterogeneous, and from conifers they pass to other plants, causing their defeat. Let us describe some of them.

Cone rust, spruce spinner. On the inside of spruce scales, which is an intermediate host of the rust fungus puccinia strumareolatum, rounded dusty dark brown aetiopustules appear. Cones are wide open, hanging for several years. The seeds are inconsistent. Sometimes shoots are bent, the disease in this form is called spruce spinner. The main host is bird cherry, on the leaves of which small round light purple uredinio-, then black teliopustules appear.

Summons a Rusty Miscellaneous Fungus Melampsora pinitorqua. The aecial stage develops on the pine, as a result of which its shoots bend S-shaped, the top of the shoot dies off. Aspen is the main host. In summer, small yellow urediniopustules form on the underside of the leaves, spores from which cause mass infection of the leaves. Then, by autumn, black teliopustules are formed, in the form of which the fungus overwinters on plant debris.

Rust pine needles cause several species of the genus Coleosporium. It mainly affects biconiferous species of the genus Pinus, is found everywhere in their ranges, mainly in nurseries and young stands. The eciostage of the fungus develops in spring on pine needles. Yellow vesicle-shaped aetsiopustules are arranged in disorder on both sides of the needles, uredio- and teliospores are formed on coltsfoot, ragwort, sow thistle, bluebell and other herbaceous plants. With a strong spread of the disease, the needles turn yellow prematurely and fall off, and the plants lose their decorative effect.

Miscellaneous mushroom Cronartium Ribicola causes pine spinner(five-coniferous pines) , or columnar rust of currant. First, the infection of the needles occurs, gradually the fungus spreads into the bark and wood of the branches and trunks. Resin is observed in the affected areas, and aesiopustules appear in the form of yellow-orange vesicles from the ruptures of the cortex. Under the influence of the mycelium, a thickening is formed, which eventually turns into open wounds, the overlying part of the shoot dries up or bends. Currant is an intermediate host, gooseberries can also rarely be affected, numerous pustules form on the underside of their leaves in the form of small columns, orange, then brown.

Mushrooms of the genus Gymnosporangium (G. comfusum, G. juniperinu, G. sabinae), pathogens juniper rust affect cotoneaster, hawthorn, apple, pear, quince, which are intermediate hosts. In spring, the disease develops on their foliage, causing the formation of yellowish outgrowths (pustules) on the underside of the leaves, and round orange spots with black dots are noticeable on the top (aecial stage). From the end of summer, the disease passes to the main host plant - juniper (teliostage). From autumn and early spring, yellow-orange gelatinous masses of sporulation of the pathogen fungus appear on its needles and branches. Fusiform thickenings appear on the affected parts of the branches, and the death of individual skeletal branches begins. On the trunks, more often on the root neck, swellings and swells form, on which the bark dries out and shallow wounds open. Over time, the affected branches dry out, the needles turn brown and crumble. The infection persists in the affected juniper bark. The disease is chronic, almost incurable.

Rust of birch, larch - Melampsoridium betulinum. Small yellow pustules appear on the underside of birch and alder leaves in spring, yellowing, shoot growth decreases. In the larch, which is the main host, the needles turn yellow in summer.

As protective measures against rust diseases it is possible to recommend spatial isolation from affected plants that have a common causative agent of the disease. So, you should not grow poplar and aspen next to pines, five-needle pines should be isolated from blackcurrant plantings. Cutting out affected shoots, increasing resistance through the use of microfertilizers and immunostimulants will reduce the harmfulness of rusts.

causative agents drying of juniper branches there may be several mushrooms: Cytospora pini, Diplodia juniperi, Henderson notha, Phoma juniperi, Phomopsis juniperovora, Rhabdospora sabinae. Drying of the bark and the formation of numerous brown and black fruiting bodies on it are observed. The needles turn yellow and fall off, the branches of the bushes dry out. The infection persists in the bark of affected branches and unharvested plant debris. The spread is facilitated by dense plantings and the use of infected planting material.

Tui can often also appear drying, drying of shoots and branches, caused more often by the same fungal pathogens. A typical manifestation is yellowing and falling of leaves from the ends of the shoot, browning of the young growth of branches; in humid conditions, sporulation of fungi is noticeable on the affected parts.

The causative agent of which is a fungus Pestalotiopsis funerea causes necrosis of the bark of branches and browning of the needles. On the affected tissues, olive-black sporulation of the fungus is formed in the form of separate pads. With a strong drying of the branches in hot weather, the pads dry up and take on the appearance of crusts. With an abundance of moisture, a grayish-black mycelium develops on the affected needles and bark of the stems. Affected branches and needles turn yellow and dry out. The infection persists in the affected plant debris and in the bark of drying branches.

Sometimes appears on juniper plants biorelloma cancer. Its causative agent is a fungus Biatorella difformis, is the conidial stage of the marsupial fungus Biatoridina pinastri. With mechanical damage to the branches, over time, pathogenic microorganisms begin to develop in the bark and wood, causing necrosis of the bark. The fungus spreads in the tissues of the bark, the bark turns brown, dries, cracks. The wood gradually dies off and longitudinal ulcers form. Over time, rounded fruiting bodies are formed. The defeat and death of the bark leads to the fact that the needles turn yellow and dry out. The infection persists in the bark of the affected branches.

Pathogen juniper nectar cancer is a marsupial Nectria cucurbitula, with conidial stage Zythia cucurbitula. Numerous brick-red sporulation pads up to 2 mm in diameter are formed on the surface of the affected bark; over time, they darken and dry out. The development of the fungus causes the death of the bark and bast of individual branches. The needles turn yellow and fall off, the affected branches and entire bushes dry up. The infection persists in the bark of affected branches and plant debris. The spread of infection is facilitated by dense plantings and the use of infected planting material.

In recent years, many cultures, incl. conifers, mushrooms of the genus Alternaria. Pathogen juniper Alternariosis is a mushroom Alternaria tenuis. On the needles affected by it, which becomes brown, a velvety black coating appears on the branches. The disease manifests itself when plantings are thickened on the branches of the lower tier. The infection persists in the affected needles and bark of branches and in plant debris.

To combat desiccation and Alternaria, you can use preventive spraying of plants in spring and autumn with a Bordeaux mixture, Abiga-Peak, and copper oxychloride. If necessary, in the summer, spraying is repeated every 2 weeks. The use of healthy planting material, timely pruning of affected branches, disinfection of individual wounds and all cuts with a solution of copper sulfate and smearing with oil paint on natural drying oil significantly reduce the incidence of disease.

larch cancer causes marsupial fungus Lachnellulawillkommii. Its mycelium spreads in the bark and wood of larch branches during its spring and autumn growth dormancy. The following summer, new bark and wood are built up around the wound. As preventive protective measures, it is recommended to plant resistant larch species, grow them in favorable conditions, do not thicken, and avoid frost damage.

On the stems of conifers, some types of fungi can settle tinder fungus, forming rather large fruiting bodies on the bark, annual and perennial, causing cracking of the bark, as well as rot of roots and wood. For example, pine wood affected by a root sponge is purple at first, then white spots appear on it, which turn into voids. Wood becomes cellular, sieve.

Tui stem rot is often caused by tinder fungi: pine sponge Porodaedalea pini, causing variegated-red rot of the trunk and tinder fungus Schweinitz - Phaeolus schweinitzii, which is the causative agent of brown central fissured root rot. In both cases, fruiting bodies of the fungus are formed on the rotten wood. In the first case, they are perennial, woody, the upper part is dark brown, up to 17 cm in diameter; in the second mushroom, annual fruiting bodies in the form of flat hats, often on stalks, are arranged in groups. Affected plants gradually die, and unharvested dried plants and their parts are the source of infection.

It is necessary to cut out diseased, damaged, dried branches in a timely manner, cut off the fruiting bodies of tinder fungi. Wound injuries are cleaned and treated with putty or paint based on drying oil. Use healthy planting material. It is possible to carry out preventive spraying of plants in spring and autumn with a Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes. Be sure to uproot the stumps.

Coniferous plants are very popular with landscape designers thanks to its unpretentiousness in care and outstanding decorative qualities. But, in addition to obtaining aesthetic pleasure - diseases of fir trees and their treatment - this is what almost every domestic gardener who uses coniferous compositions in the design of your site.

The main causes of diseases of coniferous plants

What an ordinary domestic gardener knows about the diseases of fir trees and their treatment is nothing. As a rule, the disease is determined by a change in the color of the coniferous culture, inhibition of the growth of young animals, and premature loss of needles.

The main diseases of spruce are associated with crop damage:

• fungal infections;
• pathogenic bacteria in the soil;
• sucking, needle-eating and trunk pests.

In addition, non-communicable diseases caused by unfavorable conditions of detention, errors in planting and caring for plants are also widespread, namely:

• illiterate landing with a strong deepening;
• incorrectly chosen landing site;
• lack or excess of moisture;
• lack of nutrients and stagnation of water in the soil.

Fungal diseases of spruces, as a rule, do not lead to the death of the culture, but provoke premature loss of needles and a change in their color. The main causes of tree damage by a fungal infection are excessively tight planting, lack of light, excessive moisture soil.

The most common spruce diseases and their treatment

Among the mass of diseases of coniferous trees, spruce is most susceptible to diseases: shutte, rust, futarosis. Consider the clinical manifestations, varieties and effective methods of dealing with these diseases.

Schutte

Schutte is a disease provoked by the pathogens of the fungal infection Ascomycetes. If the spruce needles turn red - this is a shute.

Currently, several varieties of this disease are known:

There is an opinion among domestic gardeners that blue spruce varieties are not susceptible to fungal diseases. This is fundamentally wrong! These varieties are susceptible to snowy and brown varieties of schütte. In support of our words, we publish a photo of the disease of blue spruces.

Measures to combat Schutte spruce consist in the systemic treatment of infected plants with fungicides with an interval of 2 weeks between each "treatment". The most effective means are recognized: Falcon, Quadris.

Fusarium

Many domestic gardeners are interested in the question: why does spruce dry? Withering of the plant can be triggered by Fusarium - viral disease which attacks the roots of the plant. With this disease, the spruce does not receive enough nutrition, as a result of which the needles begin to dry and fall off, the tree gradually dries out and dies.

Fusarium is extremely difficult to cure. To treat and prevent the spread of the disease to healthy seedlings, the infected tree must be periodically treated with fungicides, stem injections, dressing and disinfection of the soil around the diseased plant.

With self-treatment of Fusarium spruce, there is a high probability of the death of the tree and infection of the entire planting. To determine the cause of the disease and exact method its treatment is strongly recommended to consult a specialist.

spruce rust

With this disease, the spruce needles turn yellow, the affected branches are deformed and dry out. A fungal infection provokes the disease.

The most common types of rust lesions include:

How to deal with rust on spruce?

Treatment of a damaged plant consists in systemic treatment of the plant with drugs that affect pathogens, fungi: Pucciniastrum areolatum, Coleosporium, Cronartium ribicola.

The most effective drugs are recognized: Fitosporin-M; Abiga Peak.

shoot necrosis

This disease is caused by the fungus Kabatina. It manifests itself in the death of young shoots of spruces of all kinds, which weakens the tree and can lead to its death.

The fight against this disease of spruces and its treatment consists in systemic treatments of the infected tree with fungicides: Amistar Trio, Antrakol, Falcon with the complex introduction of root formation stimulants into the near-trunk circle.

Pests of spruce plantings

It is very difficult for a non-specialist to detect pests on spruce. The most common pest of conifers is spruce aphid - a sucking insect, the average size of which barely reaches 1 mm. However, the presence of spruce aphid colonies can be detected by secretions covering the surface of branches and needles.

Reason: the spread of ant colonies that breed aphids to obtain "honeydew" - secretions that serve as a food source for insects.

Destroys ants by treating infected areas with soapy water.

When using soapy water, it should not be allowed to enter the soil in the root zone.

- affects the needles, sucking out the cellular fluid from it. It is possible to determine the defeat of spruce by this insect by the appearance of dots on the needles and the presence of cobwebs on the needles. At severe defeat, the needles change color to white.

Control measures: spraying with insecticides and specialized preparations from ticks Akarin, Agravertin, Appolo, Envidor.

Why do spruce needles turn yellow? Probably, the plant is affected by coniferous mealybugs - relatives of aphids.

Reason: low air humidity.

Control measures: With small lesions, systemic spraying with tobacco infusion helps, three procedures with an interval of three weeks. With a strong spread of colonies, treatment with insecticides is recommended, which penetrate the plant sap, making it deadly to insects.

Correctly identify the diseases of fir trees and choose the most effective method only specialists can treat them. If the described symptoms of coniferous crops appear, we strongly recommend that you contact professionals who are more likely to help defeat the disease and preserve the decorative functions of the plant.