How to Remove Scuffs From Terrazzo Tile Floors, How to Clean Vinyl Plantation Shutters So They Don't Spot, The Morton Arboretum: Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences: Spruce Spider Mite, University of Minnesota Center of Urban Ecology and Sustainability: Spruce Spider Mite, 17 gardening gifts for the plant-lovers in your life. Revised: 8/13/2012 Answer: Dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca Conica) are notoriously trouble-plagued plants, prone to a number of maladies. Since theyre so tiny, mites are almost impossible to see. Horticulturist Jessica Walliser is the author of several gardening books, including Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Good Bug, Bad Bug, and her newest title, Container Gardening Complete. Her website is jessicawalliser.com. Discontinue using these products and add compost to the soil in spring to help process some of the salts out of the soil. Feedback, questions or accessibility issues: Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening, Smart Shopping: Dodging Disease When Purchasing Plants, Tips for Buying and Caring for Easter Lilies, Avoiding WinterSaltInjury on your Landscape Plants, 2022 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements. Its about 10 years old so Id like to try to keep it alive if possible. This pathogen is most common on older Alberta spruce. Mites tend to attack older needles located on the lower and inner parts of the spruce, and feeding is often accompanied by indicative silken webbing. These mites go through four to six generations per year and populations can explode under warm, dry conditions. If youre unable to find the information you need, please submit your gardening question here: Connecting people with the University of Wisconsin. Again, its best to replace the plant with a trouble-free choice if this fungal disease strikes. Spruce spider mites can attack a number of conifers including spruce, hemlock, white cedar (arborvitae), larch, and juniper. Theyre resistant to many chemical pesticides (some even enhance their reproductive capabilities!). Question: I have a dwarf Alberta spruce in front of my house, next to the walkway. Mites are only 150 of an inch long, but can be seen walking on a light-colored background. Tall, spiky flowers add a vertical interest to garden, Early spring chores to tackle amid covid-19 pandemic, TV Talk: WPXI-TV reporters son stars in Amazon Prime Videos The Lake, Kecksburg UFO Festival returns to Earth following pandemic complications, Tull Family Foundation not renewing Sewickley theater sponsorship, You can own a dinosaur skeleton and other prehistoric stuff for the right price, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. This fungus loves wet weather like the conditions we had last summer. Mites prefer to feed on drought-stressed plants, so providing the dwarf Alberta spruce with regular water during extended dry spells is important. The spruce spider mite (Oligonychus ununguis) is a fairly common and damaging pest of conifers in the United States. In addition to needle drop, when this pathogen strikes, youll also see patches of a white, dried sap-like substance on the innermost branches and trunk. It easily spreads from plant to plant on pruning equipment and clothing. Sprays of horticultural oils can be effective, though they also kill the beneficial mite species that help keep spruce mites under control naturally. 2022 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. Angela Ryczkowski is a professional writer who has served as a greenhouse manager and certified wildland firefighter. Phil Pellitteri, UW Insect Diagnostic Lab, UW-Extension Spider mites feed by sucking on plant sap. Last season, I noticed that some of the needles were turning brown and falling off the plant. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Though they remain fairly popular among homeowners, there are many trouble-free alternatives that make a far better choice for homeowners who dont want the fuss. At first it was just from the inside of the plant, but now it appears that the whole plant is losing needles. and help us continue covering the stories that matter to you and your community. Shake or tap the branch and then check the paper, carefully inspecting it for miniscule moving spots.

Affected needles first develop a speckled, yellowish appearance before turning a rusty color and sometimes dropping prematurely. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.

Encourage their presence by reducing dusty conditions with occasional water sprays and avoiding the use of broad-spectrum, persistent pesticides. Connect with your County Extension Office , Find an Extension employee in our staff directory , Get the latest news and updates on Extension's work around the state, Feedback, questions or accessibility issues: info@extension.wisc.edu | 2022 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Policy | Discrimination and Harassment Complaints | Disability Accommodation Requests | Civil Rights. Generally, when mite populations build up enough to cause significant needle drop, theres little that can be done. If theyre present, mites are to blame for your problem. The mites suck fluids out from needles to feed. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, These pests, more closely related to spiders and ticks than insects, have several natural enemies. Hold the paper out flat an inch or two beneath a branch. Controlling mites is extremely challenging. Spruce mites are most active during cooler temperatures, when they feed by sucking the juices out of the needles. These tiny yet extremely destructive relatives of spiders can quickly kill a tree. Under heavy infestations needles can brown or fall prematurely. Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts The Organic Gardeners at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio with Doug Oster. If you use rock salt or another ice melter on your front walk, salt build-up or salt splash could be causing your needle drop. They also leave very fine webbing behind. Control: First determine if mites still active by shaking branches over a white piece of paper. She is the author of several gardening books, including Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Good Bug, Bad Bug, and her newest title, Container Gardening Complete. Her website is jessicawalliser.com. To check for an infestation, come spring, head out to the plant with a piece of white paper. Most commonly, dwarf Alberta spruce fall victim to spruce spider mites. We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities. Conifers hold needles for up to four years so damage is sometimes found that represents an old infestation. First, dwarf Alberta spruce are not tolerant of salt spray. Another possibility is a fungal canker known as cytospora canker that can also cause needle browning and drop. Heavy rain will wash mites off of plants and is a form of natural control. Because other conifer disorders have similar symptoms, the presence of mites or mite eggs is used for diagnosing the problem. Greensburg, PA 15601. What Do the Seeds of Moonflowers Look Like. Support Local Journalism Infested needles become mottled and appear yellowish to gray in color. Most insecticides are ineffective against spider mites, and frequent use of insecticides can promote mite outbreaks by killing mite predators. There is little to be done once cytospora canker is confirmed. Good alternatives include weeping blue spruce (Picea pungens The Blues), dwarf Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa nana gracilis), Blue Wonder spruce (Picea glauca Blue Wonder) and boxwoods. One of the spruce spider mite's preferred hosts is the dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca "Conica"), an evergreen shrub or small tree found in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 to 8 and enjoyed for its slow growth rate, compact form and attractive foliage. Dwarf Alberta spruce are prone to mite infestations that can lead to needle drop and death. At that point, its best to find a replacement. If large numbers of eggs are observed in the fall, plants should be checked in spring for signs of activity. Dwarf Alberta spruce also much prefer drier conditions to humid ones, so if the planting site is very sheltered with limited air circulation, the plant can suffer and be more prone to the following two afflictions. Similarly, a forceful stream of water can help reduce mite numbers. Sprays containing insecticidal soap, horticultural oils or specific miticides (hexthiazox, bifenthrin) are effective controls. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional studies. Do you know whats going on with my dwarf Alberta spruce? Item number: XHT1109. Damage is more common on inner branches and areas protected from direct rain. Once damaged, needles will not recover even after the mites are gone. Plants should only be treated if mites are active or if large numbers of overwintering eggs are found on shoots. Spruce spider mites are tiny, measuring only about 1/50 inch across and looking like tiny moving dots to the naked eye. If youd like to get to the bottom of whats wrong with your plant, here are a few common problems with this variety of spruce.