Stop Needlecast before it starts!

[Hack Yeah!]

Long live the neefle!

 

[River's Edge]

Chemicals labeled for use in the landscape against Rhizosphaera include: azoxystrobin, copper salts of fatty and/or rosin acids, copper hydroxide, copper hydroxide + mancozeb, mancozeb, thiophanate-methyl and Phosphorous acid.
This is an clip from an UMASS article on needle cast. My humble opinion the phosphorous acid might be a good product to rotate into a program. It will move both up and down through the vascular system of the tree and will move between the cell walls of the leaf and needle tissue. It is also really good on fighting root rot diseases. Cleary's 3336 is thiophanate-methyl. Through my work we try to rotate fungicides every 2-3 applications to prevent resistance. Changing modes of action and class of fungicide.

Thanks for using this approach. Naming the chemicals effective is more important than the trade names as the availability is so different within jurisdictions and they are often registered for different uses.
Sometimes if a product is not registered for use in ones jurisdiction it is possible to obtain other registered products that contain the same ingredients in similar proportions.

 

[River's Edge]

Long live the neefle!

Too bad he already has a moniker

 

[Bonsai Nut]

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.

The Clearys I use comes in liquid form, and has instructions for how to use as a soil drench. I use it with a sprayer, but it drips freely into the soil as I spray.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yes, but will the liquid form take care of neeflecast?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Yes, but will the liquid form take care of neeflecast?

I've actually never gotten neeflecast. In that case, I would probably use Flearys 3336 instead.

 

[Adair M]

I've actually never gotten neeflecast. In that case, I would probably use Flearys 3336 instead.

All kidding aside, the particular active ingredient is important. Any given Fungicide may or may not be effective against needlecast.

For instance, there are different chemicals in the liquid vs Granular Bonide Infuse Systemic Fungicide. The one that works on the needlecast is the Granular version. And, the Granular version does NOT harm the beneficial mychorrazzae in the soil! I don’t know about the liquid.

 

[Japonicus]

Thought i cleared that up in post #73 above. The Bayer Advanced is not a fungicide. I did not the ingredients but not their purpose.
The only systemic fungicide i use is the Bonide Infuse. All the others are merely protective and not systemic.

I thought rust was a fungus, and this 3 in 1 treats rust and other diseases systemically.
Since it's a rotation product without anyones experience with it in this thread
I am now experimenting with it on all my 2 needle pines, and a juniper that's rather rubbery when pinched,
followed by Daconil this evening, a more immediate effect. Phyton 27 next month, which is a systemic spray
Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate 21.36% which is my #1 not so secret weapon against needle cast. It works.
I will never know, from my usage, if this 3 in 1 is helpful or not. Will use the Garden Phos next time.

I have no signs of the fungus this year thankfully, just trying to keep it that way per @Adair M 's thread title.
Thank you.
@KLSbonsai thank you for the highlight of effective active ingredients.
I should have got the Monterey Garden Phos instead of the 3 in 1 and saved some money as well.
The entire point of my post yesterday was to get anyones experience with the 3 in 1 usage rate
since it is not Clearys and I cannot assume all granular have the same dosing rate as it is posted in the 1st post
at a rate of 1 Tsp-1Tbsp/pot. I tend to be a little more generous than that.

 

[cmeg1]

Thanks for this.I am giving the granular Infuze a try along with cooper and daconile.
The Infuze is definately more practicle for smaller collections.
I will be starting a new collection of JBP indoors early again in about ......perhaps tonight!

 

[girv]

Posted this in "New to Bonsai" but think it might be more relevant on this thread. https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/purchased-nursery-jbp.36246/page-2

I repotted this JBP last spring, it did well all year. Then in February of this year, I chopped the upper half off. I overwintered it in my bulkhead. I put the tree backout side in mid-march when temps started getting warmer. Almost within a few days, the needles started to turn brown. I'm not sure if this is from needle cast, overwatering or something else. It also went from my bulkhead in complete darkness right into mostly full sun. Could this have been the issue? Do I need to slowly acclimate the trees back to outside? I tried to do research on this subject and didn't find much.

Some damage seems to start from the tip, other needles, from the middle.

 

[Oleg]

Do you live on a boat? I know nothing about needlecast but I do know you do have to gradually return to full sun.

 

[Japonicus]

I put the tree backout side in mid-march when temps started getting warmer.
It also went from my bulkhead in complete darkness right into mostly full sun.

That's just not a good scenario, keeping it in total darkness, not outside, and suddenly in full Sun.
Start your rotation of fungicides, repeat per Adairs advice in this thread. This is a good thread.
A healthy tree would do poorly in such a scenario. Do a drastic prune on top of that and you see
where that goes.

So where is the tree now? Just keep it in full Sun always. No pruning or candle pinching this year.
Nothing wrong with some Winter protection but don't throw it to the dungeon with no light and no doubt, poor air circulation.

 

[Yugen]

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!

Does use of a copper spray or Clearys 3336 kill desirable lichen on the bark?

 

[Adair M]

Does use of a copper spray or Clearys 3336 kill desirable lichen on the bark?

Not to my knowledge. Because I use both products and have lichen on the bark of some of my trees.

Beware of lichen on pine bark. A little is ok, but it can take over, and damage the bark. I’ve had to spray with vinegar to kill it sometimes.

 

[davetree]

Not to my knowledge. Because I use both products and have lichen on the bark of some of my trees.

Beware of lichen on pine bark. A little is ok, but it can take over, and damage the bark. I’ve had to spray with vinegar to kill it sometimes.

Do you use full strength or dilute ? Thx.

 

[Adair M]

I use the white wine vinegar from the grocery store, full strength.

I put it in a spray bottle. I cover the soil before I spray.

 

[Paradox]

@Adair M

Do you happen to use the Bonide Infused? If so how much do you apply, and do you just spread it on the soil or use a tea bag or granule cup?

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M

Do you happen to use the Bonide Infused? If so how much do you apply, and do you just spread it on the soil or use a tea bag or granule cup?

I use the Bonide Infuse granular. I spread it on top and water it in.

 

[shimbrypaku]

@Adair M
How much Bonide infuse granular do you use pre tree?
Thanks

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M
How much Bonide infuse granular do you use pre tree?
Thanks

I put about a teaspoon on Shohin size trees, and about a tablespoon on regular size trees.

I also spray with copper and Daconil.