Red spots on Bald Cypress needles

Ltbrown117

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Hey all! I’m new to Bonsai and just picked up 2 awesome pre-Bonsai trees from my local nursery. One of these is a Bald Cypress, which I’ve noticed has red spots developing on many of the needles on the lower branches of the tree. I’ve also noticed a white web-like substance on some of the needles, although I didn’t see anything that looked like mites (to the untrained eye at least) using a small microscope on 20x.



I’ve attached some pictures showing both concerns below. I know the Bald Cypress loses its needles in winter, but it seemed odd that the redness is appearing as spots vs an overall color change. I read a little bit about twig blight and other things that can affect the Bald Cypress, but wanted to get thoughts from you all on what this might be. Thanks!
 

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Ltbrown117

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One additional note - it looks like a few needles towards the ends of the affected branches are turning brown, curling, and dying. I’ve added a few pics below.
 

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Leo in N E Illinois

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Mites, spider mites, flat mites, 2 spot mites, or maybe one of the other hundred or more species of plant sucking mites. Based on the 20x photos, those look like webs. Webs make me think of mites. Often vague difficult to diagnose damage is mite damage.

Spray for mites with a miticide. The spray you use should specifically mention one or more of the various mite species. A general insecticide will not work because mites are not insects, they are arachnids. THey have 8 legs like spiders.

So read labels. Spray and very important, repeat spraying at the recommended interval. The label will tell you when to repeat spray. A typical repeat pattern would be every 5 to 7 days depending on temperature, repeat until no more evidence of the mites is seen, then repeat one additional time, then you are done for this season.

So read labels.
 

Ltbrown117

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Awesome, thanks for the input Leo! Makes sense given the webs. I’ll plan to order some miticide and give that a shot.

On another note, is it too late in the season to prune some of the affected branches that aren’t looking so hot? I’m in VA (zone 7A). I know there’s a second pruning window for Bald Cypress in late summer for warmer states, just not sure how long that window extends.
 

BillsBayou

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The images from NASA's new Webb Telescope are fantastic.


Definitely mites. Also use Bayer's Tree and Shrub spray. It has Imidocloprid which is a systemic.

Put a cloth over the soil. Trim off the affected leaves. Collect all the leaves and throw them away.

If any webbing is on the trunk, use a nylon brush to remove it. You should wear disposable gloves. Your hands may become contaminated and spread to other trees.

Isolate the trees. Water and feed as usual.
 
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