A Barrel of Scots Scotch (Pines that is)

[Paradox]

As promised, here is a dedicated Scots pine thread so we can show off and discuss our scots.


I have 4 scots pine currently. Ill start off with this one I purchased last year at the National Show.



It needs a lot of back budding.

I repotted it this spring from the bonsai pot it was in when I purchased it to a slightly larger training pot.
I am now feeding it fish and seaweed emulsion every 1-2 weeks and it has fertilizer cakes on the soil.

Trying to pump it up in health and strength and hopefully convince it to do some back budding closer to the trunk.

Ill post my other large scots at a later date. Its late here and I am sleepy.

@Vance Wood tagging you so you know the thread is here.

 

[Soldano666]

Excellent thread paradox. I have 3, 2 of which are waterri grafted variety. Pretty much my learner burners. I haven't killed them yet, so I'll be all over this thread to make sure I don't kill them and get me ready for some real scots when I'm ready

 

[herzausstahl]

As promised, here is a dedicated Scots pine thread so we can show off and discuss our scots.


I have 4 scots pine currently. Ill start off with this one I purchased last year at the National Show.

View attachment 148653

It needs a lot of back budding.

I repotted it this spring from the bonsai pot it was in when I purchased it to a slightly larger training pot.
I am now feeding it fish and seaweed emulsion every 1-2 weeks and it has fertilizer cakes on the soil.

Trying to pump it up in health and strength and hopefully convince it to do some back budding closer to the trunk.

Ill post my other large scots at a later date. Its late here and I am sleepy.

@Vance Wood tagging you so you know the thread is here.

I really like the frame of this tree! Thanks for starting this thread! I always felt bad hijacking the mugo thread to talk Scots. And thank you Vance for once again being our guide & sharing your knowledge!

 

[VAFisher]

I have 2 Scots but I'm doing something terribly wrong with their care. Both have bad cases of needle cast fungus and I wonder if they will even survive. The new candles all appeared normal this year and then after several days of rain it became apparent that something was very wrong. I've been alternating spraying them with copper and daconil and I sprinkled some systemic granules on the surface. They were in the exact same conditions as several mugo pines last year and through the winter so I'm not sure why the Scots would have been hit so hard while the mugos remain perfectly fine. I'm pretty sure I'll lose some branches if the trees do survive. The only thing I can think of to do any different is to spray them with lime sulfur this fall - which I failed to do last fall even though it was recommended to me by Julian Adams. Here are pics of the trees before and a new pic of the needles (they've gotten worse since this picture).

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Soldano666
Hey Bro

The Daconil should work. But the fungicides do not 'repair' old damage, and needles already infected may have damage appear even though the daconil has stopped the fungus growth.

Frankly, the damage could also be ''mechanical'', possibly sun burn?, burn from a horticultural oil or pesticide application? something else?

I would take current photos, and compare over the coming weeks, if it stops getting worse, you cured it, whatever ''it is''. Do apply Daconil periodically, but avoid over doing it. Make sure you do not miss the autumn applications, because the autumn infection period is the damage that shows up in spring. There is a lag of several weeks to months between infection and symptoms showing up.

 

[Paradox]

@VAFisher

Did you also spray them last year and what kind of spraying routine did you use?

 

[my nellie]

Hello Leo!

@Soldano666
Hey Bro
The Daconil should work... ...

Are you really replying to Soldano666 or rather to @VAFisher ? He is the one with the problem... if I may say

 

[VAFisher]

@VAFisher

Did you also spray them last year and what kind of spraying routine did you use?

I alternated between dacoil and copper but did not follow a set schedule. Kinda just when I thought about it. I should have sprayed them with lime sulfur when dormant like was recommended but thought I had probably already done enough. I'm afraid one of them is a goner because there isn't much green left on it now. I'm not sure how much photosynthesis it will actually be able to do. And the 2nd doesn't look a lot better.

 

[VAFisher]

@Soldano666
Hey Bro

The Daconil should work. But the fungicides do not 'repair' old damage, and needles already infected may have damage appear even though the daconil has stopped the fungus growth.

Frankly, the damage could also be ''mechanical'', possibly sun burn?, burn from a horticultural oil or pesticide application? something else?

I would take current photos, and compare over the coming weeks, if it stops getting worse, you cured it, whatever ''it is''. Do apply Daconil periodically, but avoid over doing it. Make sure you do not miss the autumn applications, because the autumn infection period is the damage that shows up in spring. There is a lag of several weeks to months between infection and symptoms showing up.

I assume this was for me? I don't think sunburn or something else was the issue. This seemed to come on very suddenly after a few days of rain. I'm fairly certain it's fungus and I think I have a plan with the sprays and the granules so hopefully that will cure it if I can nurse them through to next year.

 

[Paradox]

I alternated between dacoil and copper but did not follow a set schedule. Kinda just when I thought about it. I should have sprayed them with lime sulfur when dormant like was recommended but thought I had probably already done enough. I'm afraid one of them is a goner because there isn't much green left on it now. I'm not sure how much photosynthesis it will actually be able to do. And the 2nd doesn't look a lot better.

You mentioned you were spraying now. I am also guilty of not spraying when I should and my trees have had a little needle cast here and there because of it.
I was told that we should start spraying in May every 2 weeks until the end of October for any kind of fungus issues, especially in wet weather.

The problem with Needle Cast is that it infects the needles one full year before you see it on the tree. So when you see it, its too late.

Does the tree you think is a goner have buds at all or did those die as well? The two trees you pictured are nice trees. I hope they pull through for you.

For what its worth I had an issue with one of my scots 2 years ago. We had 3 weeks of very very cold temps here and the pots near my garage door froze solid for 2-3 weeks.
So the tree couldnt get water. I think this was the problem but I could be wrong. In April, the tree's needles looked off color and were kinda sunk in so again I thought dehydration from lack of water. I put the tree outside and about a week in the sun, the needles turned a straw yellow color for almost the entire length of the needles except right around the buds. The bud still extended and opened up to new needles and the tree survived despite losing almost all of the previous year's needles.

Good luck

 

[VAFisher]

You mentioned you were spraying now. I am also guilty of not spraying when I should and my trees have had a little needle cast here and there because of it.
I was told that we should start spraying in May every 2 weeks until the end of October for any kind of fungus issues, especially in wet weather.

The problem with Needle Cast is that it infects the needles one full year before you see it on the tree. So when you see it, its too late.

Does the tree you think is a goner have buds at all or did those die as well? The two trees you pictured are nice trees. I hope they pull through for you.

For what its worth I had an issue with one of my scots 2 years ago. We had 3 weeks of very very cold temps here and the pots near my garage door froze solid for 2-3 weeks.
So the tree couldnt get water. I think this was the problem but I could be wrong. In April, the tree's needles looked off color and were kinda sunk in so again I thought dehydration from lack of water. I put the tree outside and about a week in the sun, the needles turned a straw yellow color for almost the entire length of the needles except right around the buds. The bud still extended and opened up to new needles and the tree survived despite losing almost all of the previous year's needles.

Good luck

This year's candles extended and looked normal and then turned brown pretty quickly. Some of the needles are still showing some green but not much. Next year's buds are not showing yet. I'll keep watering and treating but not too hopeful.

Just weird that it only got the Scots and the mugos are unaffected. One mugo sat in between the 2 scots all last year and looks great. Weird.

 

[Paradox]

This year's candles extended and looked normal and then turned brown pretty quickly. Some of the needles are still showing some green but not much. Next year's buds are not showing yet. I'll keep watering and treating but not too hopeful.

Just weird that it only got the Scots and the mugos are unaffected. One mugo sat in between the 2 scots all last year and looks great. Weird.

If the new buds and needles were effected, its not needle cast. As I said the needles are infected one full year before you see the issue. Something else is going on.
Did you repot either of them this year? What kind of soil are they in? Might want to try just pulling them out of their pots and just look at the roots without disturbing the roots.

 

[sorce]

Leo..."pulled a Vance"?

Fitting!

Sorce

 

[PaulH]

My one and only. Estimated 40 - 50 years old. I got it from an older club member.

 

[Wilson]

Figured I could post my trees in this thread too! 2 dwarf foliage, and 2 collected.

 

[theta]

My one and only. Estimated 40 - 50 years old. I got it from an older club member.

Really Nice. That's exactly the kind of pine I'd love to develop one day, more of a naturalistic older pine look.

 

[Waltron]

Hory sheet @VAFisher, you better do something, those are bad ass specimen trees there.. make sure you dont let the fungicide get in the soil.. maybe the soil is lacking beneficial myco's..? that's all I got... them are nice. decisive action is required.. you should be able to save them with some proper steps. @Adair M ???

 

[sorce]

Sorce

 

[Paradox]

Sorce

*EDIT* Nevermind: Music finally stopped and I can hear what hes saying now.

 

[sorce]

I found a tree in the park the other day so I looked up some "mature Scots pine".



Pretty sweet.

Sorce