Tip Blight

pistol pete · Apr 8, 2009

I have a customer who has asked me to diagnose and treat his Austrian Pine. The die back started early March and is slowly progressing. There is another Austrian pine on his property that has been progressing through die back for several years and most of the interior is dead. I have researched this a great deal and believe it to be tip blight but I am unsure. I live in central Oklahoma and we have had two below average years for rainfall and above average for winter temperature. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. I have attached pictures of both mentioned trees.

brnchbrkr · Apr 8, 2009

Treatment

026 Stihl

Smart a$$ remark...;-)

Never seen an Austrian Pine recover from it.

Heck, I think the tree is now banned for any plantings around here.

Others may be able to help you better than I am.

ATH · Apr 8, 2009

Read up on diplodia tip blight and see if that is what you have. My guess is that it is. Not much you can do in the field. Prune out infected branches and cones. FUngicide treatments are tough to time and not cheap.

(I always knew this as Diplodia, then several years ago 'they' changed it to Sphaeropsis. When that didn't catch on, they changed it back to Diplodia. Point being, you might also find some literature under Sphaeropsis.)

John Paul Sanborn · Apr 8, 2009

It also looks like some of it may be shoot-tip borer,

http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/PRIVATE_FORESTS/docs/fh/WesternPineShootBorer.pdf

limbwalker54 · Apr 9, 2009

How are the other species on the property, other than the Austrian Pines?

Lawnmowerboy48 · Apr 9, 2009

I would go with diplodia with borers to follow

capetrees · Apr 10, 2009

Internal destruction as opposed to the tips is throwing me off. Look at the trunk of the tree, the first three feet up from the ground. Is there sap oozing from borers? Turpentine beetles have damaged quite a few trees around here similar to the way your tree is failing.

John Paul Sanborn · Apr 10, 2009

That last picture is something other then insect or disease. I see what looks to be vines hanging, could it have been covered with wild grape, or the like?