How to treat fungal diseases of juniper. Junipers: diseases and treatment

Junipers are valued by gardeners for their unpretentiousness and the ability to maintain decorativeness all year round. When growing this shrub, usually there are no big problems, however, sometimes you have to deal with yellowing of the needles. We will find out why the juniper turns yellow and what to do with the problem.

Junipers are distinguished by their stable character and unpretentiousness. However, these hardened plants can also be affected by diseases, pests, and suffer from improper care. Most often, the first visual sign of a juniper disease is the yellowing of its needles.

There are many specific causes for this symptom:

Other reasons are also possible - we will consider all of them below.

Climate, weather

Juniper, although quite resistant to weather conditions, still sometimes suffers from some negative factors. Further, the most dangerous climatic and weather phenomena for the plant.

Air pollution

Some varieties of juniper show rare resistance to high levels of harmful substances in the air. Similar varieties are even recommended for planting on the streets of the city.

However, there are varieties for which gas content is not suitable. Junipers with a similar "gentle" constitution react negatively to a polluted atmosphere, including yellowing of the needles. If the gas content is strong, the plant may even shed its needles. Yellowing in this case occurs evenly throughout the shrub. Decorativeness suffers significantly.

What to do

Unfortunately, we cannot do anything with air. It is necessary to initially choose varieties that are resistant to gas contamination. If the type of plant planted is not the same, its decorative effect will be irretrievably lost.

Harmful precipitation

If the juniper is planted in an ecologically unfavorable region, yellowing of the needles from acid rain and other harmful precipitation is likely. Such precipitation with a high sulfur content is especially frequent in the north-west of our country. Inside the crown, the needles usually remain the same color.

What to do

There's nothing you can do, you'll have to deal with it.

This includes reasons related to improper care and maintenance.

Wrong choice of soil

It is important to plant the plant in soil with neutral acidity. Too acidic or too alkaline soil is not suitable for juniper. The optimal range is 5-5.5 pH.

What to do

If the soil does not match the plant variety, add lime for alkalization or another substance for acidification (for example, rotted sawdust).

Planting in late autumn

If you plant a juniper in anticipation of winter, it may not have time to take root normally before frost. In this case, changing the color of the needles to an ugly yellow color is almost inevitable.

What to do

To prevent yellowing of the needles due to freezing of the earth, it is necessary to plant the plant in advance in the fall, taking into account the climate of the area and the timing of the onset of cold weather. For the winter, the conifer must be well covered.

Too much fertilizer

Since the juniper does not grow too rapidly, it does not need a lot of nutrients. Usually the plant is quite enough of those minerals that are present in the soil. If you overfeed the shrub, it will change its color to yellow, the blue variety to green. Dwarf varieties grow to standard sizes, while losing all their charm.

What to do

You don't need to fertilize often. Feed the shrub only if the soil is very depleted.

lack of moisture

A lack of water can also affect the coloring of needles in yellow. Although the juniper does not need frequent watering, occasionally it is still necessary to moisten it. Otherwise, in a dry summer, the needles often dry.

What to do

It is necessary to establish a watering schedule and do not forget to take care of the conifer growing in the garden. The norm in summer is 30 liters per adult plant per watering. And so that the moisture does not evaporate so quickly, mulch the soil in the trunk circle.

Spraying will also help. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the summer time once a week.

Waterlogging

Juniper needles may suffer due to an excess of moisture in the soil. Both excessive watering and spring floods lead to waterlogging - if the shrub is planted in a lowland.

What to do

Watering should be responsibly, avoid waterlogging. When planting in the hole, a layer of drainage should be laid, and a place for rooting should be chosen on a small hill.

Pest infestation

Sometimes gardeners notice that the juniper has turned yellow due to damage by harmful insects. Sucking-type pests are especially dangerous for the plant: they suck juices from the tissues of the conifer, depriving it of moisture and nutrients. As a result, the needles die, turn yellow, fall off. Below is an overview of common insects.

Aphid

The pest loves young shoots, so it usually affects juniper in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season. Ants spread aphids, so an important preventive measure is the destruction of anthills on the site.

What to do

If a lesion occurs, spray the plant with soapy water at intervals of 7-10 days. With a strong infection, the most affected branches are best cut and burned.

Shchitovka

This insect has a hard, impenetrable shell that protects it from insecticides. To cope, thus, with a shield is quite difficult.

What to do

In order to prevent the trunk of the juniper in the spring, they are coated with glue from the bottom, thus preventing the pest from moving upward to the branches and leaves. If the defeat has already occurred, apply strong insecticidal preparations in several stages, and also collect visible insects by hand.

gall midges

Pests seem harmless to many gardeners, but in reality they are not. Both gall midge larvae and adults are dangerous. By the way, adult gall midges most of all resemble small mosquitoes. Insects secrete specific substances into the needles, leading to the appearance of ugly growths on the crown of the tree - galls.

What to do

It is imperative to fight gall midges if the beauty of juniper is important. Usually, measures are taken quite radically, completely cutting off branches affected by pests and burning them.

Diseases

Juniper needles can turn yellow and due to various kinds of diseases. Next, we will get acquainted with the most dangerous pathologies.

Schutte

This is not one disease, but several varieties at once. All Schutte diseases are fungal in nature and affect only conifers. The disease can lead not only to yellowing of the needles, but also in severe stages to its blackening and complete falling off. The risk group includes young and weak junipers, as well as those growing in damp soil.

What to do

When the disease is still in its initial stage, sanitization with drugs such as HOM, Quadris, Ridomir, etc. can help. Affected branches are cut and burned. If the shrub is severely affected, you will have to part with it, unfortunately.

Shutte disease is much more beneficial to prevent. For prevention, you can use the same drugs as for treatment, but in a weaker concentration. In addition, it is important to initially choose seedlings without any signs of infection, choose dry areas for planting, and properly care for them.

Alternariosis

This is also a fungus, and quite dangerous. The defeat of Alternariosis leads to the fact that the needles become brown with a black coating. In severe cases, the needles fall off, the branches are exposed. The risk of infection is especially high if the juniper is densely planted.

What to do

Branches already infected must be cut and destroyed away from the site. Then disinfection is carried out with a solution of copper sulphate. Sections are smeared with oil paint.

Fusarium

The disease leads to the needles tingling, drying out, falling off. The infection is transmitted through the soil.

What to do

It is necessary to disinfect the soil in which the juniper grows. Disinfection is carried out with Fitosporin, Gamair, Fundazol preparations. In case of severe damage, it is recommended to remove the upper part of the soil and replace it with a clean one.

Most often, Fusarium is transferred along with the purchased seedling. Therefore, when purchasing a new plant, be careful about choosing a nursery and do not make a purchase on the market.

Rust

The disease manifests itself as browning and yellowing of the needles, as well as in the form of ugly growths. Rust leads not only to the defeat of the needles, but shoots, in severe cases - the trunk.

What to do

Having found signs of rust, it is urgent to remove all affected parts. Then spraying is carried out with Fundazol, Folicur, Topaz, and other antifungal drugs.

If the juniper turned yellow after winter

Usually a change in the color of the needles in this case is associated with sunburn. The fact is that in early spring the sun shines brightly, and the snow has not yet melted. As a result, light is reflected from the snow and hits the needles, which cannot withstand such intense radiation.

In addition, it happens that during the winter the roots of the juniper partially freeze, which also negatively affects the condition of the needles. These two reasons lead to yellowing of the plant after winter.

What to do

To protect the plant from freezing in winter, it is recommended to plant frost-resistant varieties in regions with a cold climate.

In addition, mulching the trunk circle with sawdust or peat in the fall will help. Such a natural mulch will well protect the juniper roots from the cold.

If the shrub is young, it is better to cover it with agrofiber or burlap. In columnar varieties, it is recommended to bandage the crown before wintering so that it does not deform under the snow cap.

Why does the plant dry

If the bush began to dry, turned brown, there may be several reasons for this. Usually this happens if the agricultural technique of cultivation was systematically violated, the plant was struck by pests or an infectious disease. In this case, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the problem and urgently treat the plant. If measures are not taken in time, the death of the shrub is also likely.

The plant is inspected, all affected parts are identified, after which they must be removed and burned. This will stop the spread of the infection. Sections should be treated with fungicidal preparations, copper sulfate. It is known that the fungus is afraid of copper-containing products.

So, we learned what causes yellowing of juniper needles and how to deal with the problem. As you can see, there are quite a few reasons. Before starting treatment, accurately establish the correct one in your particular case. Only then will therapy be successful.

Evergreen junipers are a widely planted decorative coniferous culture, which has a lot of advantages, for which both amateur summer residents and professional landscape design specialists love it dearly. Unfortunately, unpretentiousness and resistance to diseases and pests are not among these advantages. They are prone to sunburn, winter desiccation, they are often spoiled by insects and infected with infections. And most often, yellowing needles are put as an external manifestation of trouble. Why do junipers turn yellow, how to accurately determine the cause, help them survive and regain their former decorative effect?

The biggest difficulty in this matter is that there are many reasons for the yellowing of juniper needles. These are various errors in care, and pests, and infectious diseases, and weather surprises - and in each case the situation is also far from unambiguous. But all this can be sorted out.

Varietal characteristics and environmental factors

One of the most common reasons for the loss of decorative conifers, and sometimes their death, is insufficient winter hardiness. The risk group primarily includes the following varieties: recumbent or leaning, Zeravshan, red and Turkestan. The Cossack, ordinary, scaly, hard, Siberian, Chinese, horizontal species survive the winter most steadfastly. If the winter is calm, without extreme “somersaults”, then these representatives of conifers, especially undersized ones, endure it without problems, wintering under the snow, like ordinary Christmas trees. But snowless frosts, thaws followed by sharp drops in temperatures and other natural surprises often lead to problems, the external manifestation of which is the loss of appearance.

Gas contamination

Junipers ambiguously tolerate gas pollution, smoke and other adverse environmental factors. Some species easily put up with them, others begin to wither, weakly resist infections and pests, shed their needles and branches.

The needles in this case begin to turn yellow from the very tips evenly throughout the bush. They can drag out a miserable existence on the site for a long time, but they can no longer return to their former decorativeness.

When planting coniferous seedlings near busy roads or industrial enterprises, it is necessary to take the choice of variety especially responsibly.

acid rain

The active use of brown coal by industry, which has a high sulfur content, leads to the so-called acid rain. They affect both juniper crowns and other tree species that are not resistant to sulfuric anhydride. The western regions of Russia suffer the most from acid rain. But, unfortunately, there are no measures to combat this factor.

Soil salt concentration

The optimum acidity of the soil is from 5 to 5.5 (pH). A mixture of sand with peat and a small addition of clay is perfect for planting.

Do not allow dogs and cats to visit junipers, which increase the concentration of soil salts with their urine! Coniferous shoots in this case acquire a rusty color.

Spring waterlogging of the soil

Occurs due to the rise of groundwater during spring floods. Seasonal temperature differences between soil and air are especially negative.

Errors of agricultural technology

They can consist not only in a lack of attention and care, but also in excessive care.

sunburn

The most common cause of yellowing of the needles is the burning of the crown in the bright spring sun against the background of the still frozen ground and half-dormant roots in it. Seasonal shading is necessary for sensitive junipers, especially if they grow in the open. Old tulle, loose burlap, mesh - any woven material will do. Unfortunately, for some particularly sensitive varieties (for example, Stricta), in regions with a sharply continental climate, neither winter nor spring shelter will help. It managed not to burn out this season, it will burn out next or, even worse, in a couple of years, and all the work invested in growing will be in vain.

The yellowing and fall of the needles, observed inside the crown in the first autumn months, is a normal process of its change and should not cause concern! In the spring, the plant will give a new growth.

Root shrinkage

It is categorically impossible to allow continuous drying of the root system. Until the roots have deepened to a sufficient depth, the soil must be mulched (can be overlaid with branches) and regularly moistened.

If the needles began to lose color, presumably for this reason, you need to increase watering, but not all at once, but gradually, so as not to plunge the plant into an additional shock. Unfortunately, only large roots can be “drinked”, thin roots in an overdried coma die off irrevocably.

late fall planting

If the planting was done in late autumn and the plant did not have time to take root properly in anticipation of frost and freezing of the soil, then in the spring there may be a loss of color of the needles. This is due to dehydration, since the roots in this case evaporate moisture from all plant tissues.

What to do in that case? In winter, a young seedling must be securely covered from frost, and in spring from the sun. Closer to spring, the snow in the trunk circle should be cleared to its edges and watered with warm water (about 60C) at least every other day. Do not be afraid that the water will turn out to be hot, the frozen ground will cool it down exactly as much as necessary.

Overfeeding

The annual growth of this crop is small, so it does not need fertilizers - a properly selected surrounding soil is enough. As a result, the needles may turn yellow (and in blue varieties change color to green), and dwarf varieties lose all their charm and grow to normal, unremarkable sizes from a decorative point of view.

For young plants or those that have suffered drying out of the roots, you can use the drug "Kornevin", which stimulates the growth of roots. It is not a fertilizer, but the recommended rate must be observed in order to avoid the opposite effect.

Video tips for restoring junipers after winter

Pests

They can be divided into two large groups.

Sucking pests

They harm by sucking the vital juices from the tissues, weakening the bush and depriving the needles of nutrition, which begins to turn yellow and die.

juniper aphid

Usually attacks young branches, causes them to bend, lose color and fall off the needles. To avoid a problem, try not to let the ants close, which are literally cultivated by these pests.

For the treatment of slightly damaged shoots, cold soapy water is used (the soil around must be covered with a film to prevent large amounts of soap from entering the soil). Repeat the procedure after 7-10 days. Heavily infected branches will have to be cut along with the aphid colonies that have settled on them.

Juniper scale insect

They have the appearance of rounded (females) and elongated (males) shields, 1-1.5 mm in size. Appear on cones and needles in early June. They suck out juices, destroy needles, and reduce annual growth. A measure of preventive control is a physical barrier to upward movement. To do this, in early spring we arm ourselves with caterpillar glue and apply it with a ring around the trunk at the root neck. You can use straw or fabric trapping belts. If the enemy has already passed this line, but the problem has not become global, a toothbrush or a dull knife is used to clean the trunks. In a neglected case, you will have to use insecticides.

gall midges

The wrecking consists in the release of specific growth substances deposited by them on the needles. As a result, diseased plant cells begin to rapidly divide and form galls, in which the larvae settle. Insecticides are used for control, and as a drastic measure, cutting branches affected by galls with their subsequent burning.

spruce spider mite

External signs - the crown is entangled in a rare and very thin cobweb, gradually it becomes first yellow, then dark brown and, finally, the needles crumble together. More often it affects young conifers planted on dry soils. During the season, up to 4-6 generations can be postponed and grown, so the situation by the end of summer can become catastrophic. In hot years, the insect is especially activated. As a preventive measure, maintain humidity by spraying the crown with cold water. For therapeutic spraying, colloidal sulfur or folk formulations and infusions, for example, garlic or dandelion, are used. On large areas or in advanced cases, it is necessary to use acaricidal agents.

needle-eating pests

These insects spoil the needles, eating away its internal tissues, which leads to its necrotic changes.

Sawfly

Outwardly, it looks like green caterpillars with a brown head and three dark stripes on the back. With a weak infestation, you need to dig up the trunk circle and manually collect and destroy the nests. However, if there is a noticeable yellowing of the needles, we are talking about a high degree of damage and infusions of plant insecticides will be required.

Also coniferous moths and pine moths are needle-eating. The methods of dealing with them are similar - pruning and treatment with insecticides. The branches on which the needles have already begun to turn yellow and fall off, most likely, can no longer be saved.

Diseases

Infectious fungal diseases are not only one of the most common causes of yellowing of needles, but also one of the most dangerous for its survival and restoration of decorative qualities.

Schutte

This is a whole series of fungal infections inherent exclusively in coniferous plants. The causative agents are varieties of ascomycete fungi. Their symptoms are somewhat similar, the first signs, upon very careful examination, can be seen towards the end, and sometimes at the beginning of summer. Last year's needles slightly change color, but do not crumble; by autumn, barely noticeable black dots appear on it, which gradually grow - these are the fruiting bodies of mycelium. The scale of the disaster appears in all its glory the following spring after the snow melts, when the bush is covered with gray-black cobweb mycelium.

real schütte

The name of the causative fungus is Lophodermium seditiosum. It affects young or weakened bushes in the bulk, often brought to the site from nurseries. The source of the further spread of the infection is fallen needles, on which apothecia grow - the fruiting bodies of mycelium, outwardly similar to black transverse lines. They are especially well preserved and grow in damp warm weather or with heavy dews.

Snow Shutte

It is mainly dangerous for pines, but in close proximity it also infects junipers. The disease got its name because especially rapid development occurs under the snow, showing in the spring a sad picture of brown shoots covered with a grayish film. This is a mycelium that is quickly transmitted from needle to needle. What did not die after the snow melted gradually dies off by summer. Especially contributes to this wet, protracted spring. The reddish color of the affected areas gradually acquires a gray, and then a black tint.

Brown Shutte

One of the most famous and common diseases of this crop, especially in nurseries, on young stock or on self-seeding. The causative agent is Herpotrichia nigra. The coniferous cover loses color, becomes brown-yellow, but keeps on the branches for a long time. The problem can be seen in the initial stage, at the end of summer or autumn, when rounded black dots-spores appear on the needles. But usually the defeat becomes apparent in the spring, when the bush is abundantly covered with mycelium.

Risk group - weakened heathers growing in shaded areas or on waterlogged soil.

What to do?

At the initial stage of any kind of shute, sanitization should be carried out. Recommended compositions - "Rkor", "Kvadris", "Ridomir Gold", "HOM", Bordeaux liquid. It is necessary to carefully collect, without digging, crumbled needles, cut off the affected branches. These same drugs are well suited for prevention. Severely affected shrubs are destroyed, followed by the burning of all plant residues.

Prevention is very important in relation to shute! It consists in careful selection of planting material, providing growing seedlings with sufficient space, taking into account future sizes, and timely preventive spraying.

Alternariosis

The carrier of the infection is the fungus Alternaria tenuis. In addition to repainting the needles brown, it is also characterized by the appearance of a black velvety coating on them. Gradually, the needles crumble, and the shoots dry out. It affects the entire above-ground part of the conifer, retains vitality in plant debris. The risk zone is dense plantings.

How to fight?

The affected branches are cut off, the places of the cuts are either disinfected with a 1% solution of copper sulphate or the HOM preparation (they are also used for preventive spraying), or smeared with oil paint on drying oil.

Important! If several plants are affected, one bush is first treated and its reaction is observed for a day. If no negative consequences occur, the rest of the conifers are sprayed.

Biotorell cancer

Even before the crown begins to “rust”, this fungal pathology is manifested by the appearance of brown spots on the bark with its gradual drying and cracking. In places of cracks, ulcerative lesions appear, malignant fruiting bodies are formed. Next comes yellowing and falling of the needles. The causative agent Biatorella difformis penetrates into plant tissues through cracks in the bark and other mechanical damage. If the plantings are thickened, the infection quickly spreads over the site.

How to fight?

During planned pruning, always treat branches with garden pitch so that mycelium spores do not fall on a fresh cut, this is one of the most vulnerable places of juniper.

Bark nectriosis

The disease begins to manifest itself by the appearance of red growths on the bark (subsequently darkening and drying out), which are the foci of sporulation of the fungus Nectria cucurbitula. Further, everything happens according to the same scenario as with biorell cancer. Too dense landings and in this case are a provoking factor. If the problem is noticed in time, the needles and the entire shrub can be saved.

How to fight?

Apply fungicides in several stages. For the first time, you can use sodium humate, the preparation "Caesar" or "Ridomila Gold MC". For re-treatment, which is advisable to carry out after two weeks, Quadris, Skor, Strobi or lignohumate will be suitable means.

Rust

Symptoms - orange growths, drying and falling needles, twigs. The most susceptible to rust are Cossack and Virginian junipers. The spores of the fungus are carried by the wind and rapidly infect other shrubs. They can be saved only at the very beginning of the disease by radical pruning of damaged shoots. The disease, unfortunately, is not treated and, if a vital part of the plant is affected, it dies. If the process has been stopped, the cut points must be covered with garden pitch or linseed oil paint, and the remaining aerial part should be treated with fungicides.

The most effective drugs: Vectra, Ridomil Gold MC, Tilt and Bayleton.

Rust-causing fungi have a complex two-host life cycle. To avoid infection, plant junipers farther from rosaceae (apple, pear or rarer hawthorn, shadberry, etc.) or arrange artificial barriers between them.

Shrinking branches

One of the most difficult to diagnose pathologies caused by pathogenic fungi of several varieties at once. At the beginning of the process, it is impossible to understand the cause and differentiate it with the inexperienced eye from the consequences of care errors. However, soon dark-colored fruiting bodies begin to form on the bark, following the yellowing and falling of the needles, the branches begin to fall.

What to do?

If the process has gone far, the plant can no longer be saved, all forces must be given to save the neighbors - the affected bushes are dug up and burned, and the soil is treated with disinfectants. Minor damage is stopped by pruning, followed by disinfection of the cuts and spraying the surviving bush with fungicides.

Always carefully collect the yellowed and fallen needles of diseased plants. They can become a source of secondary infection.

Fusarium

Tracheomycotic wilt, as this pathology is otherwise called, begins, unlike the cases described above, from the root system, causing it to darken. Infection occurs in the soil, affects the vessels of plant tissues, which disrupts the entire nutrient delivery system. First, the needles turn red, starting from the very top, then dry, visually the process moves from top to bottom.

What to do?

The soil under the diseased plant is disinfected with the preparations "Gamair", "Fitosporin-M". A solution of "Fundazol" is also well suited. If it is possible to replace part of the soil, this must be done.

Fusarium in the vast majority of cases is transferred to the site along with the seedling. Carefully choose a supplier, and if there is any doubt about the purity of the material, treat the earthen ball and the hole for planting with Quadris, Fitosporin or Maxim compositions. But this does not give a 100% guarantee of getting rid of pathogens.

Gray rot

Places affected by anamorphic fungi look like they are covered with a layer of gray-brown dust, thin branches turn black and die. The reason usually lies in the lack of space, close proximity to thujas, also susceptible to this disease, waterlogging, waterlogging of the soil, low light.

What to do?

Dense plantings need to be thinned out. Remove diseased branches and burn, process cuts. Spray with infusion of pure flowers, Bordeaux liquid, abaga-peak.

It is important not only to know how to deal with the problem of yellowing needles, but also how to do it correctly.

• Almost all fungal and other pathogens of juniper develop resistance to the drugs used against them. Therefore, it is not advisable to use the same remedy, they must be alternated.
• Different problems require the use of different drugs. Fungal infections are controlled with fungicides, insects and their larvae are killed with insecticidal agents, and acaricides are used against ticks and similar pests.
• The optimal interval between treatments is 2 weeks.
• The best time for spraying is morning or evening, the day should be warm and calm.
• Sections of branches affected by fungal pathogens must be treated with garden pitch, blue vitriol or oil-based paint with the obligatory presence of drying oil in the composition.
• There is no need to rush to remove branches slightly burnt in the sun, they can still recover and grow fresh needles.

Juniper problems, like any other, are best dealt with before they appear. Prevention should become an integral part of agrotechnical measures for the care of this ornamental crop. If we add to this a regular preventive examination, it will be possible to notice the first signs of a disease or pest attack in time and have time to save the plant. If everything has gone too far, it is better to donate a little in the name of saving other ornamental and fruit trees and horticultural crops.

(lat. Gymnosporangium sabinae) is a mushroom of the Pucciniaceae family. Its interesting feature is that it requires two host plants for development: juniper and pear.

However, the main ones are precisely the various types of juniper. It is on them that the pathogen hibernates. Juniper is an intermediate link in the spread of this disease.

On the affected perennial branches of conifers, arachnid outgrowths form. In spring, an orange gelatinous substance appears on them, in which spores ripen, infecting the pear.

They are carried by the wind to a distance of several hundred meters and infect young leaves, sometimes fruits.

This is facilitated by rain and high humidity. Fruiting bodies of a bright orange body on juniper (Moscow region) appear in early May and stay on the trunk or branches for 2-3 weeks. Therefore, at a later date it is difficult to determine whether the juniper is healthy or affected by rust.

How to do it? Stems and branches of juniper affected by rust are thickened in places where the fungus develops.

If the fungus develops for a long time, then the thickening cracks and the plant will die in the near future.

Rust on pear

The first symptoms in the form of rounded yellow-orange spots on the leaves appear after the flowering of the pear.

This is what rust looks like on a pear. Photo Moscow region 20 06 2016

It is difficult to determine the first stage of rust development on juniper, individual branches dry out, as if from a sunburn.

Usually rust does not cause serious damage to trees. But with mass damage and early leaf fall, the ability to photosynthesis worsens. Rust weakens the tree, reduces immunity. In winter, with frosts above -20 degrees, the tree can freeze. The harvest of pear fruits is reduced or it will not be at all

In the spring, before bud break, the pear should be treated with Bordeaux liquid.
The most effective means of combating rust on pear leaves are Skor and Topaz preparations.

Since the juniper is the source of infection of the pear, both plants must be treated. There are no special funds for this yet. You can use fungicides: Benlat (0.1%), Fundazol (0.1%), Bayleton (0.1%), Bordeaux mixture (1%), Skor, Topaz and other broad-spectrum drugs used to combat scab and powdery mildew of apple and pear, rust.
Terms of treatments: in spring - before and after pear flowering, in autumn - at the end of August - September, when "horns" form on the leaves of the tree.

Photo Moscow region 19 09 2016

Details on the treatment of pears with fungicides:

The pear is processed regularly, at least 4-5 times per season.

The first treatment with any drug is carried out before the kidneys swell.

In early spring, you can treat the tree with 1% Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride.

Such processing is best carried out at a stable positive temperature, in cool and dry weather.

The second spraying is carried out at the very beginning of flowering, the third - immediately after, the fourth - after another 10 days.

Colloidal sulfur is applied 5 times a season: before the appearance of leaves, before flowering, after flowering, during the formation of fruits and after leaf fall (40 g per bucket of water).

Polyram also does an excellent job of removing signs of rust. Processing is carried out at least 4 times.

The first - at the beginning of the swelling of the kidneys, the second - during the formation of buds, the third - after flowering, and the fourth - for small emerging fruits.

In this case, the last spraying should be carried out no earlier than 2 months before harvesting (2 g per bucket of water).

Skor is a universal fungicide that helps get rid of not only rust, but also scab and other unpleasant pear diseases. They are processed at least 3 times a year: before the appearance of leaves, before flowering and after. This drug is valid for 20 days (2 ml per bucket of water).

Fungicide treatment: Topaz, Bayleton (triadimefon) is a good curative fungicide, applied about 5-6 times a season (10 g per bucket of water).

The first treatment is preferably carried out at the first signs of the disease. The second, and subsequent, with an interval of 2-4 weeks.

At the very beginning of March, all affected shoots and branches are cut off, while capturing 5-10 cm of healthy tissue.

Trimming tools should be thoroughly wiped with alcohol, and the cut points should be treated with copper sulphate and covered with pitch.
In the fall, after all the leaves have fallen, be sure to spray the pear well with a strong solution of urea (700 g per bucket of water).

The soil around the tree is constantly loosened, weeded and dug up for the winter. Do not forget about the timely application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and regular cleaning of fallen leaves. But it is better to refrain from the use of nitrogen fertilizers for the time being. If there is such an opportunity, then it is better to remove the juniper growing nearby, or try to protect the pear from it.

Some gardeners use folk remedies in the treatment of rust. Such as wood ash infusion (500 gr per bucket of water) and slurry infusion. However, such methods do not bring tangible results, and are suitable only as preventive measures.

During the beginning of leaf fall, you can treat the pear with 500 grams of urea per 10 liters of water. In this case, the entire pear should be moistened and the branches and leaves, including those lying on the ground.

Even if you do not have junipers, spores of the disease can be introduced from neighboring areas, and since it is impossible to force a neighbor to remove infected plants or at least take care of them correctly, you will have to treat the pear for prevention (in spring before flowering and in autumn after leaf fall)
Of course, when planning a garden, you need to consider that the neighborhood of a juniper with a pear and an apple tree is dangerous. But, if it so happened that there are both plants on the site and you want to save them, then you will have to work hard:

1. You can try to separate the planting of juniper from rosaceous tall shrubs or trees with a dense crown. But this is difficult, especially in small areas.
2. Carefully and regularly inspect the junipers, especially the lower branches, in order to timely detect the first signs of rust.
3. If found, treat with fungicides both juniper and rosaceae. The first treatment is carried out only in early spring, long before flowering. The second - immediately after flowering, and the third and subsequent (if the disease progresses further) - every 2 weeks.
4. If you notice the first signs of the disease, then immediately cut off the affected parts of the juniper and burn them. Under the bush, collect all the leaves, and loosen the ground around them. Treat pruning tools with alcohol, and slices with 1% copper sulphate and cover with garden pitch. As a preventive measure, spray juniper in spring and autumn (Kuproksat is advised).
You can also treat juniper bushes with special preparations. Saprol and Ditan are suitable for this. Spraying them is carried out in turn, with an interval of 7-8 days.
At the same time, it is important not to forget to spray fungicides and a pear with an apple tree. Bordeaux liquid, preparations with sulfur or other fungicides are suitable for this.
In rainy weather, juniper can be covered with a film. After all, mushrooms develop only at high humidity (although the plant can rot under the film).
Such measures can lead to success and your plant will not die. But if this treatment did not help, then you should think about moving the bush to another place or completely destroy it.
5. In order for the juniper to be more resistant to any diseases, it is necessary to fertilize it in time using microfertilizers and immunostimulants. This will help them resist rust. And also often inspect the bush, so as not to miss the first signs of infection.
It is important that if the disease (rust) has entered the chronic stage, then it is impossible to cure the juniper, especially when rosaceous trees or shrubs grow nearby. Therefore, it is better to remove one of the crops from the garden, leaving the one that is dearer to you, or move it to another, remote place. In this case, the juniper can be cut off completely, leaving the lower live buds on the bush. In this way, you will prevent the further spread of the disease and save the juniper.
It is important to identify the disease in time and treat it, and even better to prevent its occurrence with preventive measures. You can cure if you deal with both pear and juniper. Follow the juniper, and when rust returns, re-treat with fungicides, Bordeaux liquid or, as many advise, copper-containing. For the most effective effect on rust, it is necessary to change the preparations that process juniper and pear.

Provided information

Head of the plant protection laboratory of the APK "Vitus" Sinelnikov K. Yu.

Specialists of the plant protection department of APK Vitus carry out entomological and phytopathological examination of green spaces, develop individual action plans for plant protection, treat green spaces with protective agents and carry out comprehensive plant care.

Department of plant protection APK "Vitus": [email protected]

Juniper smell, how can you not recognize it, because this plant is a relative of coniferous trees. Passing by juniper thickets, you feel a surge of strength, cheerfulness, your mood rises, you want to breathe in the air with a full chest. The plant is very valuable, has medicinal use in many diseases, especially the broncho-pulmonary system. Mentions about the healing properties of juniper were described in ancient Egypt. This valuable plant was used during various epidemics, and juniper branches were even rubbed on floors in houses to scare away all evil spirits. There is a mention that the Indians from North America treated them with diseases of the joints. Patients with joint diseases were brought, or even carried on their hands, to juniper bushes for treatment. This happened every day until a complete cure. Even in Ancient Russia, dishes were made from juniper in which perishable foods were stored, even milk does not turn sour in such dishes. Often these branches were consecrated in churches and kept behind icons. Until now, you can find various juniper crafts, such as coasters for hot dishes. When such a stand is heated, a coniferous smell is felt.

Juniper belongs to the cypress family, which has several species. A half-meter shrub can grow, or it can grow into a huge tree over 15-20 meters. In the form of a shrub, it often has spreading flexible branches, outwardly it looks like a lush green carpet. In the form of a tree, it often resembles a cypress, the crown can have a cone-shaped or pyramidal, grows with bisexual flowers: it has round greenish cones and catkins with 3-4 stamens. It begins to bloom in early summer, the berries ripen in August-September. Juniper berries are small in size, dark brown or almost black. Often when harvesting come across green berries or brown hard berries. For food and treatment, fleshy dark berries are needed. Juniper berries have a pleasant aroma and indescribable taste. Often they are added in cooking to give dishes an exquisite taste and aroma. Especially well they set off the taste of game dishes, for marinating meat, berries will give the dish a romantic aroma of a fire.

Juniper berry tea is considered very tasty and healthy. Helps with diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system, treats cough, as it removes sputum. It is used for diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, gives good results in the treatment of joints, arthritis, arthrosis. The plant contains natural inulin, therefore it is recommended for use by patients with diabetes mellitus.

Contraindications

Like many medicines and plants, juniper has contraindications for use. It should not be used by pregnant and lactating women, with kidney diseases, with acute diseases of the stomach and intestines, with allergies to this product. Do not take the plant for more than two months. In any case, it is better to consult with your doctor.

Essential oil - useful properties

Since the plant has many medicinal properties, juniper essential oil is widely used in cosmetology and medicine. It contains a lot of useful properties, helps in the treatment of many diseases. Just a few drops added to a bath, inhalation or aromatherapy course will help you relieve fatigue after a busy day, calm your nervous system, and normalize sleep. In the cold season, this essential oil will give a reliable rebuff to seasonal diseases.

It has a wide application in cosmetology, you can add a few drops of coniferous oil to your favorite cream. Good results in the treatment of skin problems such as acne, especially in adolescents. Fights cellulite and stretch marks. When adding a few drops to the shampoo, it will provide shine to your hair, eliminate itching of the head, and prevent hair loss. When adding oil to the foot bath, you can quickly get rid of calluses, get rid of fungal diseases.

Juniper is a beautiful tree or shrub that is often used by landscapers to create scenic compositions. In order for the plants to look beautiful and well-groomed, you need to adhere to certain requirements, you need to familiarize yourself with the diseases and pests of the juniper, take into account the dangers of weather conditions.

Winter Dangers

Along with caring for plants in the warm season, you need to take care of them in the cold season. A danger to small shrubs can be heavy snowfall that can break branches,

stem break is possible. From time to time, if possible, shake the snow off the branches. Trees for the winter can be tied with twine, if the trees are small or bushes, tie them with a rope to a peg. One of the dangers in winter can also be sunburn, to eliminate them in the fall, it is recommended to cover the trees with spruce branches or simply cover them with special materials.

If the weather is warm enough in winter, another problem can arise for juniper trees, they can begin to rot, fungal diseases begin to develop. It is necessary to look at the plants and in the presence of dark branches, with signs of prettiness or fungal infection, cut out diseased branches and burn them.

Plant diseases and their control

One of the dangerous diseases for these plants, as for all conifers, is considered brown mold or shute. This disease can begin to develop in the fall and, having overwintered, a brown coating is found on the branches. This is mold. If proper measures are not taken, the branches begin to turn yellow, and trees and shrubs that are especially weakened after winter may even die. Often such a fungal disease occurs after a very snowy winter, during prolonged snowmelt. Shutte affects heavily dense plantings, or growing in heavily shaded places, in lowlands. To avoid infection, juniper must be treated with special fungicides and preparations containing sulfur and copper. When the branches are affected by this disease, they are removed.

One of the serious diseases for many plants, including conifers, is trachomycosis. This fungus lives in the soil, while the root system is damaged first, then the disease spreads to the branches and trunk. As a result, the plant does not receive nutrients, which leads to its death. You may notice that the top begins to turn dark in color with a reddish tint, then it moves to other branches and the plant dies. At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to carry out treatment with special preparations, cut and burn diseased branches. When pruning branches, use a sterile pruner, as the disease can spread through the pruner to other branches. It is necessary to collect needles under diseased trees and work the soil, as there may be signs of infection in the soil.

drying branches

With heavily thickened plantings and on wet soils, branches often begin to dry out, plants can infect several types of fungi at once. To avoid drying out of branches, use only proven planting material for planting. If the plants are already affected, you need to cut off the diseased branches. The cut points must be treated with special preparations, apply garden paste or oil paint on top. For prevention, spray with Bordeaux mixture twice a year. In case of severe infection, treat with the mixture again.

Rust

The causative agents of this disease are also fungi. Spindle-shaped cones appear on the branches, sagging forms near the roots. The bark begins to dry, cracks and wounds form. In these wounds and cracks, spores begin to develop, an orange coating forms. The wind disperses the spores and infects nearby trees. The plants affected by this fungus begin to dry out, the needles become brown, which has a very bad effect on the appearance. It is almost impossible to cure it.

If you notice a black velvet coating on the branches, then the juniper is affected by Alternaria. Very thickened plantings are often affected. The lower branches begin to dry out, the needles fall off. Cut off diseased branches and treat with Bordeaux mixture. Coat the wounds with oil paint or garden paste.

juniper cancer

The causative agent is also a fungus. When the cortex is damaged, this pathogen causes necrosis of the cortex, that is, its necrosis. The fungus begins to penetrate the bark, which begins to crack and dry out. The needles turn yellow and dry out.

nectriosis

With this disease, growths of a dark red color grow on the bark, which first darken and then dry. The needles turn yellow, individual branches, and then the bushes dry completely.

You need to fight this infection in the same way as in the previous case.

Applying various fungicides and other drugs, treat one plant at once. If the result is satisfactory, you can use on the rest. It is better if you alternate drugs, so you will achieve the greatest effect. Do not forget to use protective equipment when working with drugs.

Junipers are popular conifers in landscape design. The main advantage of these in beautiful needles, a variety of shapes and colors, in a characteristic aroma, resistance to adverse environmental factors. But in order to get healthy and well-developed specimens, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the possible difficulties that may arise in their cultivation.

Junipers found in our culture are mostly hardy. However, some of them may suffer from spring burns. Such plants often come out of wintering with “burnt”, yellow needles, which crumble over time and reduce decorative effect. This is especially true of Chinese juniper and common juniper.

sunburn

The reason for this phenomenon is physiological shrinkage. In February - March, when the intensity of sunlight increases, the juniper crown, especially on the south side, becomes very hot, and active photosynthetic activity begins in it, which requires moisture. Since during this period the roots cannot supply the plant with water due to the frozen ground, the intracellular fluid of the tissues is consumed. As a result of such physiological dryness, the needles begin to die off. From physiological shrinkage, junipers with vertical crowns, especially varieties of Chinese juniper ( Juniperus chinensis) – Strict ( Stricta) and Stricta Variegata ( Stricta Variegat), and ordinary ( Juniperus communis) – Hibernica ( hibernica), Meyeri ( Meue) and Compress ( Compressa). However, their horizontal forms, such as Repanda ( Repanda), Prostrata ( prostrata), as well as other varieties of these species.

Solution to the problem

• To prevent burning, junipers are shaded in February - March with spunbond, lutrasil or other material.
• You can also warm the soil under the plant by spilling it with warm water.
• Significant damage can cause junipers and heavy snowfalls. At low air temperatures in winter, the branches of junipers become brittle and easily break under the weight of snow, so it is recommended to tie vertical junipers for the winter, and shake off snow from horizontal ones, if possible.

Significant harm to junipers is caused by diseases caused by different groups of pathogens. The following diseases are the most common and cause significant harm: rust, trachyomycosis, drying of branches and juniper shutte.

Rust

The causative agent of the disease is basidiomycetes. A very common disease of junipers is the "bloating" of branches and stems caused by rust fungi. The disease is manifested by the presence of bright orange growths on the branches. Such a bright color of the mycelium of the fungus is due to the presence in it of drops of oil with a pigment close to carotene. The disease can last for several years, while the plant not only loses, its branches also dry out, which can lead to death.

This pathogen is characterized by a complex development cycle, suggesting the presence of two hosts. On junipers, there are such pathogens that have different additional hosts: Gymnosporangium mali-tremelloides (second host - apple tree; aecial stage), G. juniperi (second host - mountain ash; aecial stage); G. amelanchieris (second host of irga; aecial stage); G. elavariiforme DC. (second host - hawthorn; aecial stage). The most common pathogen is Gymnosporangium sabinae, the second host of which is the pear. Most often, it affects the Cossack and Virginian junipers and their varieties.

Most often, it affects the junipers Cossack and Virginsky and their varieties.

mushroom gymnosporangium sabinae on the trunk

mushroom gymnosporangium sabinae

The pear also suffers significantly from this disease, and it can be detected by the characteristic vyme-like growths on the leaves. The development of the disease occurs as follows. First, a fruit plant, such as a pear, is infected by air. Orange spots form on its leaves, which in mid-summer turn into vyme-like outgrowths on the underside of the leaf, forming spores. These spores (eciospores) infect junipers in August - September. First, thickenings appear on the branches of the juniper at the points of penetration of spores, which then become covered with wounds. And after two years, jelly-like orange or brownish outgrowths are already visible in them, basidiospores are formed in them, which are then transferred to the pear, infecting it and causing significant harm to it.

Control measures

When there are obvious signs of a rust disease on the branches of the juniper, that is, when the organs of sporulation appear, it is no longer amenable to treatment. Sick branches must be cut and destroyed, and the remaining branches must be carefully treated with fungicides. When pruning, be sure to disinfect the secateurs in alcohol, as the use of a non-sterile tool contributes to the spread of the disease. Treatment of diseases caused by rust fungi is primarily preventive in nature.

Sick branches must be cut and destroyed, and the remaining branches must be carefully treated with fungicides.

In the spring, in the foci of the disease, all plants should be prophylactically treated several times with fungicides. Ridomil Gold MC, a combined preparation of contact-systemic action, has proven itself well. Tilt and Skor, Bayleton, Vectra have a good therapeutic and prophylactic effect. The consumption rates of fungicides when treating junipers for diseases should be increased at least twice as compared to those indicated in the instructions. It should not be forgotten that the treatment requires a change of drugs.

Tracheomycosis, or tracheomycosis wilt

It is quite widespread among a wide variety of plants and is caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium. On junipers, especially in wet years and in places with overcompacted soil, where stagnant water is observed, the disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, which lives in the soil, appears. Infection occurs through the root system. The roots turn brown, then light grayish spores appear on them. Then the mycelium grows into the vascular system of the branches and trunk, where it clogs the vascular bundles, as a result of which there is a violation of the transfer of nutrients, and the plant dies. Drying usually occurs starting from the apical shoots, on which the needles acquire a reddish tint. Spreading throughout the plant, the fungus first leads to the drying of individual branches, and then the entire plant.

Fusarium oxysporum infection result

fungus fusarium oxysporum

Most often tracheomycosis suffers from virgin and medium junipers - varieties Pfitzeriana Aurea and Pfitzeriana Gold Star ( Juniperus media Pfitzeriana Aurea And Pfitzeriana Gold Star), sometimes Cossack and its varieties.

Control measures

• If drying branches are found, they should be removed, and the plant and the soil under them should be carefully treated with fungicides, since the infection can persist both in the plant and in the soil for a long time. Most often, the disease is transmitted with planting material or when plants are planted in infected soil. It should be noted that the soil at the site of the removed dead plant must be disinfected, and it is best to change it, since not all pathogens are easy to destroy.
• If the plant was bought in a dubious place, the coma should be disinfected by spilling it with drugs such as Quadris, Maxim or Fitosporin.
• For a small plant with an open root system, good disinfection results are obtained by soaking the roots in a Maxim solution for 2-3 hours.

Drying of juniper branches

Drying of juniper branches is a serious disease that often leads not only to the loss of decorativeness, but also to the death of the plant. The causative agents of the disease are a number of pathogenic fungi that can only be determined by sowing in pure cultures. These are Cytospora pini, Diplodia juniperi, Hendersonia notha, Phoma juniperi, Phomopsis juniperovora, Rhabdospora sabinae, Pythium cupressina. Signs of infection appear in the spring, when yellowing and falling of needles on plants are observed. First, small branches begin to dry out, then the affected area increases and can capture the entire plant. Later, numerous small dark-colored fruiting bodies of fungi appear between the scales and on the bark. The infection persists in the affected branches, needles, as well as their remains. The spread of this infection, like most diseases, is facilitated by planting on heavy soils, poor air permeability of soils and dense plantings.

The spread of this infection, like most diseases, is facilitated by planting on heavy soils, poor air permeability of soils and dense plantings.

drying of the branches of the juniper Blue Star

drying juniper Skyrocket

Almost all types and varieties of junipers can be exposed to the disease caused by these fungi. According to observations, rocky juniper, especially Skyrocket ( Skyrocket), as well as scaly. Of these, Blue Star is particularly susceptible ( Blue Star), it gets sick much more often and more intensively than the Blue Carpet variety close to it ( Blue Carpet), which can also be affected.

Control measures

Small affected branches that have appeared should be cut out, since the infection persists on the bark and needles of diseased shoots, and the entire plant should be treated with fungicides. But if the affected area is very large, it is better to destroy the plant completely.

Shutte brown

A common disease of juniper, especially ordinary and its varieties. The name of the disease comes from the German word schutten (to crumble), the disease manifests itself in a change in color, dying off and falling off of the needles. Symptoms of the disease appear in early summer, when last year's needles become brown-brown. On these needles at the end of August, characteristic black, up to 1.5 mm, round or elliptical fruit bodies (apothecia) appear - sporulation of the pathogen. The disease develops most intensively in shaded plants growing in damp places, as well as on weakened plants.

Shutte brown

Control measures. Be sure to remove fallen diseased needles and cut dried branches in a timely manner. For prevention, treat with fungicides in spring, in mid-April, and in autumn, before frost. Good results both in prevention and treatment were shown by Quadris, which inhibits spore germination and affects germinating fungal hyphae, as well as Strobi, Skor, Ridomil Gold MC.

In the next article, we will look at a number of the main pests of juniper and control methods.

The material was prepared by the GreenMarket online store for the Neskuchny Sad magazine, No. 5, 2014

PDF version of the article can be downloaded