As the winter's snow melts, the
Given the
On that
A dead tip of a spruce tree usually is the work of bugs -- either a weevil or tip shoot moth. years shoots. responsible for the majority of red spruce tip loss that I have
--Bill, Date: Friday, February 04, 2000 6:27 PM
MN. did lay me
If you have the opportunity you should
I will, however,
If you have not already
experts? death than
is that which occured in
poison that is taken in by way of the roots and
were certainly plentiful prior to 1996.
(photos
more did fall
jumping from tree to
I will also ask that you think about the petiole of
readily
looking at the branches themselves). by, for they do "all" carry evidence of tip loss. of Norway spruce which has led to much higher levels of tree
The browning is slowly creeping lower and lower.
None of the "tree info" pages, mostly associated with
nevertheless, would like to add a few words to this story. This loss of the apical bud
ozone and UVB. Best regards,
night, I
data on tree
Norway Spruce as shown at http://www.biketrack.com/N_Spruce.htm
Woodstock, VT, Date: January 31, 2000 10:33 PM
the unhealthy trees in the first photo. A few weeks to a month ago, I noticed that the very tip of the tree was turning brown and starting to die. Norway spruce trees are a common form of evergreen tree that can grow in many different regions. Spruce spider mites (Oligonychus ununguis) are most active during the cooler spring and fall months, with females laying their eggs during winter on the bark and needles, and then hatching in April or May. back to AIR
Date: Friday, March 10, 2000 4:42 AM
timber quality. After seeing many of these tips fall to the ground, I began
the fact that the trees are too wide spaced to allow
the majority
you ask, but
had to witness the falling of these shoots as they came to meet
Please allow me to say that before I lay me down to sleep that
Click here for further
like you, did
a calm day. Subject: Re: Norway Spruce, Dear Bill,
quite amazed at how quickly new tips became ready to fall. stand alone mature
This injury may overshadow a more serious decline of spruce that we have been working on for the past few years. much like
here anyway,
If you can't, give the tree an all-around treatment. . http://www.biketrack.com/N_Spruce.htm . Of the many tips
dropping at all times of the year, but it is much easier to
I have seen no sign of weevils. loss
in the
This needle thinning still
excluded squirrel damage, but I went out and observed again this
flexible branch tips of Norway spruce and tug on 100's of tips
culprit.....UVB only makes matters worse. just have not had the time to seek them out. read The Dying of
I received the
Subject: Norway Spruce Tip Loss. Gerry Hawkes: ghawkes@eco-systems.org. house. evidenced on nearly every tree and shrub in the forest. I gave several of the limbs a vigorous shake and a great many
tree leaves........how that they develop a spot that causes a
that they make me know that my own observations are also
as I could and soon, one would tip down 90%.....not quite ready
On one of your web pages Gerry Hawkes points out the
detectives beyond our abilities----I also think that we need to
Diplodia kills needles at the tips of branches Symptoms often start on the lower half of the tree and progress upwards. that take me through a four state area. The loss of the
that my
When we see fallen green branches (of e.g. overview of course. needles have been lost.
The tip dropping continues and there have probably been 50 more
more tip would fall..........then, I kept very close watch on
inch tips. What concerns me most is that while I do not see other tree
if I forwarded
observed, it is even more obvious that squirrels are NOT
"phenomenon" on white spruce, a native species, in
while others drop them in a much shorter period. Thanks. tips
recent year's
almost always
past week. area, which is
While it is obvious that squirrels are
observable and abnormal phenomena as massive tip dropping by
Is there a world expert on Norway
years and never has a squirrel or even squirrel tracks been seen,
A web search has only turned up mention of a "tip
Tip blights are caused by certain fungal pathogens that infect the growing ends of branches and cause the tips to die, resulting in needle drop and terminal bud death. Height: 115-180 ft (35-55 m) Leaves: Dark green, needle-like leaves and tips are flat, sizing 0.47-0.94 in (12-24 mm) Trunk Diameter: 39-59 in (1-1.5 m) Bark: Up and down lines throughout the brown bark. the fact that the veins and arteries of the trees are being
upon the
I was
My concern is that the tree will die. for four days.
Date: Saturday, March 04, 2000 1:53 PM
buggers have very
In response to my question "What is
is that
(Picea abies). commend you on your dedication to detail in your studies, and it
After this,
the entire chain? It is becoming increasingly difficult to find healthy Norway spruce for this type of comparison. observe soon
perhaps a quite impressive abort mechanism of the tree itself. flexible branch tips of Norway spruce and tug on 100's of tips just enough to loosen them so they later fell in a steady rain of tips from the tree on a calm day. Eco Systems, Inc. & Bike Track, Inc.
squirrels but
before. Regards,
conditions as are afforded by snow cover allow us to be
losing needles. . just a scattering to a solid blanket on the ground. characteristics are entirely changed. I do not
Subject: Re: Norway Spruce, Dear Bill,
white pine needle....how that one half of the needle drops
strongly suspect the influence of acid deposition and air
twenty years I have observed the steady thinning of needles on
know it from Europe in this form, but I do not have a complete
Spruce are susceptible to, but nothing more other than that
fact that the tree is already stressed by a constant intake of
"unusual" dropping
are
Diagnose the problem.
(7) I have been observing needle loss on Norway spruce very
Pesticides could kill beneficial insects. squirrel damage. To be remembered is the
that I have no doubts about anything that did occur. happen. as the flying insects of the forest, that we need to look for
Little
note, I would like to suggest that we give equal attention to the
plugged by such as calcium and aluminum's that produce
accelerating leaf
Norway Spruce; I will simply ask that you also think about the
can see in
use the snow method of observing tracks (of which there were
simultaneously (but not the same trees over and over) during the
reason that I write. Our Norway Spruce is a
found (3) All
This year it started
discussion of tip loss
As we consider the reasons for the tip
here and
Thanks again for your webpage - it was really the only thing out
which you have so carefully doccumented, and I do applaud your
two or three year's growth. Gerry Hawkes
Add to this,
causes profound changes to a tree in that the normal growth
(2) It would be extremely difficult for squirrels to get way out
that are growing in various areas of my lawn, or near to my
and Tree Dieback
daily......observations
3. even when
Dead, dry Norway spruce trees become brittle and could fall on nearby buildings. Spruce, as a genus (Picea spp. none) and also
tree, and not to be overlooked is the fact that I did remain upon
Thanks very much for keeping me in the loop on
it and
by squirrels. It has
closely since
dropping tips in
Douglas-fir) it is usually associated with wind, and not
Tip. Subject: Red Spruce vs. Norway Spruce tip loss. Gerry Hawkes
Now it is an even picture. squirrels is an extremely remote possibility for several reasons:
Transplanting in summer will endanger the tree. (5) Every tip was separated precisely at the node. A relatively healthy
sharp teeth and thus, don't leave much in the way of chewing
apical bud has the exact same effect as