Shimpaku brown tips

MrBeto

Mame
Messages
235
Reaction score
122
Location
Channelview, Tx.
USDA Zone
9
IMG_0676.JPG IMG_0675.JPG My shimpaku is developing brown tips on its pads. I watch watering carefully. Should I spray it with daconil, or it is a normal thing ?
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,420
Reaction score
27,871
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
How long have you had this particular tree? Have you ever noticed this in the past? Have you noticed any other similar symptoms on any of your other junipers?
 

MrBeto

Mame
Messages
235
Reaction score
122
Location
Channelview, Tx.
USDA Zone
9
I've had it for like, 6 months. And no, I have not had any problems with my other junipers. This one is the only shimpaku I have. The others are procumbens.
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,420
Reaction score
27,871
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
There are a few things that can cause juniper tips to brown... but only one of them (that I am aware of) looks exactly like that. What you are seeing is a perfect, undamaged tip of foliage that for some sudden unknown reason just browns, dries and (eventually) falls off. The rest of the tree looks completely healthy... but select tips of foliage die... while the rest of the foliage tips even on the same branch look great.

I believe it is a very early case of juniper tip blight.

jtb2.jpg

In early stages it is pretty easy to combat. Simply prune away all infected foliage, and then treat with an anti-fungal every 7 to 14 days:
• Mancozeb (many products)
• Thiophanate-methyl (Cleary’s 3336, Domain)
Because you only have one tree, it should be pretty easy to take care of.

Because it is a fungus, it likes humid, warm, and wet conditions. Try to keep your foliage as dry as possible, and when watering, only water the soil. It is important to note that phomopsis will infect any/all junipers, so keep your infected shimpaku separate from your other junipers, and make sure you disinfect your bonsai tools after working on your shimpaku.

Phomopsis is almost a chronic condition here on the west coast, particularly when there has been a wet winter. Many people treat their trees prophylactically with anti-fungals during the wet months for this reason.
 
Last edited:

MrBeto

Mame
Messages
235
Reaction score
122
Location
Channelview, Tx.
USDA Zone
9
How I can remove the foliage tips ? Can those brown tips be pinched without affecting the rest of it ?
 

MrBeto

Mame
Messages
235
Reaction score
122
Location
Channelview, Tx.
USDA Zone
9
Also, I only have daconil and neem oil at hand. But if need it, I'll buy mancozeb.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
How I can remove the foliage tips ? Can those brown tips be pinched without affecting the rest of it ?

Looks healthy enough to cut back to its next, or next next, junction.

Safer to be sure to get it all off I reckon, than to try just removing the brown.

Lol!

Trump will never succeed in removing the brown!

Sorce
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
Messages
14,402
Reaction score
34,874
Location
NEGeorgia
USDA Zone
7a
Cut off the brown parts with scissors.

I've never had this problem, so I defer to Bonsai Nut's advice.
 

BeebsBonsai

Shohin
Messages
313
Reaction score
177
Location
Hickory Hills, IL.
USDA Zone
5B
Bonsai Nut has it in my opinion. Sometimes people can misdiagnose this as mites. But, I also don't see any damage to the tips. Which suggests that it is juniper tip blight. Buy Mancozeb. Daconil has, in recent years, changed their formulation to include something called weather stick. Spelled it wrong I am sure. But, weather stick makes it to where the fungicide won't come off in the rain. While it doesn't affect pines unless overused, I have to imagine that something which doesn't allow water in, has to prevent some of the gaseous exchange as well. I would have to also imagine that weather stick would affect junipers far more than it would with pines. Go for mancozeb, you won't regret it.

Keep in mind going forward that you should preventatively spray your junipers with mancozeb during the spring, when the new growth is most vulnerable and rain and humidity are highest. All that spraying it now is going to do is prevent spread, those tips are dead. Cut off the brown tips. If you can't easily pull them off by pinching, then you definitely need to use scissors. @Bonsai Nut should he spray mancozeb first and then remove a day later to prevent spreading through touching? Or would he be okay to prune off the brown and spray Mancozeb right after?
 

BeebsBonsai

Shohin
Messages
313
Reaction score
177
Location
Hickory Hills, IL.
USDA Zone
5B
If I do this, will it affect somehow, the remaining foliage ?

No, it won't. The only part that will be affected is the portion of the foliage down to the next junction. And your tree looks very very healthy and happy, so as long as you spray to arrest the problem and cut off the infected bits, you'll be fine. Never be afraid to remove the areas you think are affected by tip blight. Removal of infected tissue for this particular fungus is the most effective way to arrest the spread of it.
 

MrBeto

Mame
Messages
235
Reaction score
122
Location
Channelview, Tx.
USDA Zone
9
I feel better now. This tree is a birthday present from wifey. She'd kill me if I lose this one !! Thanks everyone for such valuable advice !!
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,420
Reaction score
27,871
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
If I do this, will it affect somehow, the remaining foliage ?

The fungus is at this point inside of the tree in the infected tissue, but it moves somewhat slowly, particularly if the weather remains warm and dry and the foliage does not get watered. If you cut off the infected tissue (i.e. make sure you cut BELOW where you see any sign of infection) it is pretty easy to reduce if not totally eliminate. (It is important to note - make sure you take the diseased cuttings and throw them in the GARBAGE and do not compost them or send them to greenwaste where they might be recycled as compost). It affects fresh, soft growth first, so that older, interior (hardened) foliage may not be initially affected.

Of the two fungicides I mention above, the Mancozeb is a topical (on contact) fungicide while the Cleary's 3336 is a systemic (internal) fungicide. Mancozeb seems to control the spread of the disease and works relatively quickly, but needs to be re-applied frequently particularly if it rains. Cleary's 3336 works much more slowly and you have to allow the tree enough time for uptake through the roots (ie don't flush it out of the soil by watering too soon after application). Also Cleary's takes (in my opinion) several weeks before you see any direct results. However the combination of the two treatments seems pretty effective - particularly when combined with removal of any signs of diseased plant tissue.

You can use other topical fungicides with the Mancozeb, for example copper sulfate or Heritage. They all do the same thing in slightly different ways. But rotating a topical with a systemic yields best results.

This disease can be devastating if it gets into a large number of trees. One of my bonsai study group members lost a large part of his juniper collection to it. Make sure you keep your shimpaku away from your other junipers and treat your tools (dip them in a cup of bleach and rinse when you move between trees). Being 100% anal right now will yield good results when you don't find any sign of the disease anywhere in your garden next Spring.

For what it's worth, the fungus can remain active in dead wood for up to two years.
 
Last edited:

BeebsBonsai

Shohin
Messages
313
Reaction score
177
Location
Hickory Hills, IL.
USDA Zone
5B
BTW, use of the PVC to just hold the fertilizer in place on top of the soil is a genius idea. I will definitely be employing this next year. Thanks for that. awesome idea.
 

0soyoung

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,496
Reaction score
12,832
Location
Anacortes, WA (AHS heat zone 1)
USDA Zone
8b
Just curious, has anyone tried spraying a peroxide solution instead of Daconil/Mancozeb?

The trade off is very frequent spraying but no toxicity (peroxide just looses and oxygen and becomes ordinary water) versus less frequent spraying but with some toxicity concerns. Peroxide is also anti-bacterial (antiseptic) whereas the other fungicides generally aren't.
 

defra

Masterpiece
Messages
3,237
Reaction score
5,991
Location
The netherlands Zone 8b
USDA Zone
8b
BTW, use of the PVC to just hold the fertilizer in place on top of the soil is a genius idea. I will definitely be employing this next year. Thanks for that. awesome idea.

Lol thnx for pointing it out didnt notice got pleny of that stuff being a plumber
 

MrBeto

Mame
Messages
235
Reaction score
122
Location
Channelview, Tx.
USDA Zone
9
The fungus is at this point inside of the tree in the infected tissue, but it moves somewhat slowly, particularly if the weather remains warm and dry and the foliage does not get watered. If you cut off the infected tissue (i.e. make sure you cut BELOW where you see any sign of infection) it is pretty easy to reduce if not totally eliminate. (It is important to note - make sure you take the diseased cuttings and throw them in the GARBAGE and do not compost them or send them to greenwaste where they might be recycled as compost). It affects fresh, soft growth first, so that older, interior (hardened) foliage may not be initially affected.

Of the two fungicides I mention above, the Mancozeb is a topical (on contact) fungicide while the Cleary's 3336 is a systemic (internal) fungicide. Mancozeb seems to control the spread of the disease and works relatively quickly, but needs to be re-applied frequently particularly if it rains. Cleary's 3336 works much more slowly and you have to allow the tree enough time for uptake through the roots (ie don't flush it out of the soil by watering too soon after application). Also Cleary's takes (in my opinion) several weeks before you see any direct results. However the combination of the two treatments seems pretty effective - particularly when combined with removal of any signs of diseased plant tissue.

You can use other topical fungicides with the Mancozeb, for example copper sulfate or Heritage. They all do the same thing in slightly different ways. But rotating a topical with a systemic yields best results.

This disease can be devastating if it gets into a large number of trees. One of my bonsai study group members lost a large part of his juniper collection to it. Make sure you keep your shimpaku away from your other junipers and treat your tools (dip them in a cup of bleach and rinse when you move between trees). Being 100% anal right now will yield good results when you don't find any sign of the disease anywhere in your garden next Spring.

For what it's worth, the fungus can remain active in dead wood for up to two years.
Will alcohol do the trick, instead of bleach ?
 
Top Bottom