Mature deodar cedar about 40 years old. About 50% of crown is brown, rather suddenly, as of June. About 25% more is stunted and on its way to browning. Some branches are fine with good foliage! Seems randomly distributed throughout. Doesn't seem like a root problem or a needle fungus disease. Or insects either. No soil disturbance, lightning or herbicides. Other species in yard are fine. Other deodars across the street are perfect. Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, p. 380, makes it seem like pine wood nematode. I am sending samples to plant disease clinic. Does anyone have any info? Similar experience?
Reply to post by Peter Torres, on June 20, 1999 at 22:31:27:
Peter,
According to OSU nematologist we have no problem with pine root nematodes in OR.
Are second and third year needles infected? It sounds similar to a plant I previously diagnosed with labatory confirmation as: Siroccocus blight. (Lyon and Sinclair do not list Cedrus deodara as a host).
Reply to post by Stephen Wiley, on June 20, 1999 at 22:31:27:
I'll look at those two that you mentioned. 2nd and 3rd year needles, and new needles, are affected. Sent the sample to Melodie Putnam today. I'll post any results. Peter
Reply to post by Stephen Wiley, on June 20, 1999 at 22:31:27:
The plant disease clinic checked the affected branches for nematodes and fungi. I had sent a healthy sample, a symptomatic sample, and a recently killed sample, all from the same larger branch. The clinic recommended phytotoxicity, which I have ruled out. I also exclude lightning and lower trunk injury. Root disease or damage? Does not seem appropriate. Nor does cumulative stress. Because losing parts of secondary branches on primary branches, and scattered primary branches, throughout the whole tree, with no geographical (compass) pattern, vertical pattern, and no other affected deodars in the vicinity ((there is onne 100 yards away) and no other affected species (there are several large conifers within 100 ft.) doesn't ring any bells. I always considered deodars almost bullet-proof except for annosus, which I haven't verified in PNW. Help!
Reply to post by Peter Torres, on June 21, 1999 at 20:10:10:
Peter, in N. Texas we experience winter injury on Deodar usually as a slow to moderate deterioration and thinning from the terminal downward. We also heve seen a rapid dive in temperatures cause random dieback and browning throuhgout the canopy. Do not know where you are or how severe your winter was last year.I agree, there is hardly anything that has been reported on Deodar at least in our area.
quote:Originally posted by Peter Torres: Mature deodar cedar about 40 years old. About 50% of crown is brown, rather suddenly, as of June. About 25% more is stunted and on its way to browning. Some branches are fine with good foliage! Seems randomly distributed throughout. Doesn't seem like a root problem or a needle fungus disease. Or insects either. No soil disturbance, lightning or herbicides. Other species in yard are fine. Other deodars across the street are perfect.<br />Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, p. 380, makes it seem like pine wood nematode. I am sending samples to plant disease clinic. <br />Does anyone have any info? Similar experience?
Posts: 2 | Location: west berlin, new jersey,us | Registered: Saturday July 26, 2003
I live in West Berlin, New Jersey. I have noticed the same problem with 2 of our deodar cedars. One of them has random browning and the growing tips look like they have been burnt. The other tree was doing fine until the other day (July 26, 2003) it looks like it also is showing some wilt. We have several deodars around the yard and they all seem to be fine. We have had problems growing plants in this area before. However, we also have several other types of evergreens in the same area and they are all doing fine. In our area we have had several years of sever drought and this year we have had a lot of rain followed by high temperatures and sun. We thought maybe the tender growth was getting scorched from the sun. One of the trees has shown signs of this for two years now. It always recovers and then the growing tips brown again. I also have seen not insect damage. We did put some herbicide along the fence but this was several weeks ago. If there was any drifting I am sure some of the other plants in the area would have been affected. We have another deodar, which is not 20 feet away on the same side of the yard, and it is fine. We have not sent any sample to our local county agents and like you our neighbors have deodar and they are fine. In this same area we have a large cherry tree growing, cypress, and Douglas firs all look fine. We have not tried any thing to improve the condition of the trees. They seem to improve on their own.
Posts: 2 | Location: west berlin, new jersey,us | Registered: Saturday July 26, 2003
