Atwood LawnCare

Q: Why are my spruce trees turning brown?

WHAT YOU’LL SEE...
is a general fading of the green color of the leaves of the bush. As damage continues, the leaves will develop a flecked or stippled pattern. Excessive damage will cause the leaves to have a bronzed appearance, and may die. Place a piece of white paper beneath a branch that you suspect may have a problem with mites. Shake the branch. If you see a bunch of little spiders on the paper, you’ve got mites.

THE REASON FOR THE PROBLEM...
are a tiny 6-legged spider that can feed on many kinds of plants. They suck the juices out of shrubs, bushes and some trees. There are about a dozen different kinds of mites that are damaging to woody ornamentals. Most mite populations will rapidly build up a population during hot weather. Mites can grow from egg stage to adults in only about 5 days, making prevention very difficult. This is especially true since some species can have as many as 10 or more generations per season.

THE BEST WAYS TO CONTROL THIS PROBLEM...
is to control the over wintering adults with a horticultural oil application. The egg stage of some species will also be controlled by this application. Close monitoring of damage and mite populations will give an indication as to whether or not further steps are required. An effective option for you is to use your garden hose and wet the entire bush on a daily basis. This will destroy the webs, foster biological controls and help minimize populations.

OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU...
include an application of a miticide during the heat of the summer to affected bushes. One application may not completely control an entire population but will greatly reduce the damage. Because of the many generations of this pest, follow-up applications may be required.