Pinus densiflora 'Low Glow': blight or insufficient water?

16 years ago

I recently acquired and planted a Pinus densiflora 'Low Glow,' (grown by Iseli). A fair number of the outer needle clusters and branches have turned brown. If one traces the brown outer branch back into the tree, the joint where it grew out/emerged from another branch as a candle has turned black. The first half of the needles in the cluster on the older branch, along with the woody part itself have turned color; out of that comes the now browning newer growth. This is the case around the pine. Seeing the brown I first thought lack of water, which didn't make sense as we've been diligent and a dwarf Serbian Spruce very nearby and planted the same weekend, is flourishing. Might this be a blight or fungus on the pine? Is it a threat to other pines on our property? Thanks for any thoughts or help... before I head back to the nursery.

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
why wait.. just take it back .... presuming it is warrantied ...

frankly .. nothing anyone could say .. would make me keep the thing ...

ken
iog-6
Original Author
16 years ago
I'll take that as confirmation that this is a blight, Ken. You're right about taking it back of course. Its a long drive to the nursery where I purchased it, but it has to be done, and tomorrow morning. Thanks.
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iog-6
Original Author
16 years ago
An additional question that may sound strange: is there any kind of pine disease that leaves behind tiny white specks on the top of the mulch around the trunk of the tree?? It looks similar to rock salt or white grit.
conifers
16 years ago
Possibly mildew that has shed although I've never heard of that or rot occuring at or near the base of the trunk (you have a dead plant). Or even rot/mildew from a bad batch of mulch which I have seen before. Can't say I remember the mulch being powder-like, but definitely mold can occur on mulch.

Dax
iog-6
Original Author
16 years ago
I've spoken to the nursery and sent them digital photos. Their horticulturalist tells me that its not a pathogen but rather, a watering problem, which I don't agree with. I have 55 other conifers on the property and they are all essentially flourishing -- some browning on a few arborviate, but thats all. Certainly no blackening. I have difficulty accepting that this plant somehow slipped through the cracks and was miswatered badly enough to cause rapid deterioration in multiple colors, with a white excretion as well.

The horticulturalist attributes the brown to insufficient watering, the black to excessive watering. On the same plant. The white, they suggest, is sap ooze.

They are sending the photos to someone else to look at but the gist of it is that they refuse to give me another plant. I still fear pathogen and the infection of 6 other pines, not to mention the aesthetic issue of a very unwell looking plant with both brown and black discoloration. So it gets pulled.

Pinus densiflora 'Low Glow': blight or insufficient water?

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Pinus densiflora 'Low Glow': blight or insufficient water?

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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