Neeflecast is a fungus disease that grows inside pine needles. It shows up later as “tiger stripes” about halfway up the needle. Eventually, the top half of the needle dies, and then the rest of the needle does, too.
This really weakens the tree. The spores can spread out from just a few branches, then tobthe entire tree, then go on to infect all your trees. Pines, particularly JBP are susceptible to it, but all needles trees can get it to some degree. At least in my experience.
The fungus infects the new needles as they are just being formed. In my case, that’s NOW, in the spring. Once it’s in there, there’s little you can do.
So, what’s the treatment?
First off, never bring home a tree that’s badly infected. You will likely not be able to completely cure it, and you risk infecting your entire collection.
Traditionally, sprays such as Daconil and a copper based fungicide are used to control it. If you spray, alternate between the two for best results. Do it weekly, or if you don’t have a bad problem, every other week.
And, what I’ve fond that really helps is a systemic. The fungicide is absorbed via the roots and carried up into the needle to stop it where it starts: in the needle. The sprays just keep it from spreading. The fungus inside the needle is largely unaffected by the sprays.
The system I use is Clearys 3336. It’s a granular lawn fungicide. It comes in large bags, 75 lbs, for spreading on the lawn. A product with the same active ingredient available on Amazon in smaller quantities is Bonide Infuse Systemic Fungicide. Spread a bit on the soil of all your pines while the candles are extending. That way it will be there when the needles start growing, and hopefully, they will be needlecast free!
If you decandle your JBP in the summer, give these trees a second dose about 2 weeks after you decandle. That will treat the second flush.
This, along with a good spraying program, will help you prevent needlecast.
One final tip, Neeflecast thrives on humid, damp, and places where there is restricted air movement. So, keep your pines out in the sun where they are exposed to the breeze. This keeps their foliage dry. And, if possible, try not to wet the foliage when you water your trees, and try not to water late in the evening when the moisture can just hang around all night.
I just treated all mine, and thought it might be helpful for others.
One more tip: i water my trees first. Then go around and put between a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful on each tree, sprinkled all around the soil. Then come back an do a light watering in. Easy Peasy!
This really weakens the tree. The spores can spread out from just a few branches, then tobthe entire tree, then go on to infect all your trees. Pines, particularly JBP are susceptible to it, but all needles trees can get it to some degree. At least in my experience.
The fungus infects the new needles as they are just being formed. In my case, that’s NOW, in the spring. Once it’s in there, there’s little you can do.
So, what’s the treatment?
First off, never bring home a tree that’s badly infected. You will likely not be able to completely cure it, and you risk infecting your entire collection.
Traditionally, sprays such as Daconil and a copper based fungicide are used to control it. If you spray, alternate between the two for best results. Do it weekly, or if you don’t have a bad problem, every other week.
And, what I’ve fond that really helps is a systemic. The fungicide is absorbed via the roots and carried up into the needle to stop it where it starts: in the needle. The sprays just keep it from spreading. The fungus inside the needle is largely unaffected by the sprays.
The system I use is Clearys 3336. It’s a granular lawn fungicide. It comes in large bags, 75 lbs, for spreading on the lawn. A product with the same active ingredient available on Amazon in smaller quantities is Bonide Infuse Systemic Fungicide. Spread a bit on the soil of all your pines while the candles are extending. That way it will be there when the needles start growing, and hopefully, they will be needlecast free!
If you decandle your JBP in the summer, give these trees a second dose about 2 weeks after you decandle. That will treat the second flush.
This, along with a good spraying program, will help you prevent needlecast.
One final tip, Neeflecast thrives on humid, damp, and places where there is restricted air movement. So, keep your pines out in the sun where they are exposed to the breeze. This keeps their foliage dry. And, if possible, try not to wet the foliage when you water your trees, and try not to water late in the evening when the moisture can just hang around all night.
I just treated all mine, and thought it might be helpful for others.
One more tip: i water my trees first. Then go around and put between a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful on each tree, sprinkled all around the soil. Then come back an do a light watering in. Easy Peasy!