

These fruiting bodies will release spores the following year.

Spores are produced on infected needles throughout the growing season whenever cool, wet weather occurs.It takes several years of repeated infection to develop into a serious problem within the tree canopy.

#Bronze spot needle blight full#
Dothistroma needle blight is a slow-moving disease that takes over a full year to complete its life cycle.Dothistroma needle blight is caused by the fungus Dothistroma septosporum (syn.Needle spots, bands and dead needle tips from Dothistroma needle blight Trees affected by Dothistroma needle blight in Minnesota Trees most severely damaged Submit a sample to the Plant Disease Clinic for testing. Lab analysis is often necessary to distinguish Dothistroma needle blight from Brown spot. New infections often appear in late summer to fall.ĭead needles and spots may be seen at any time during the year on a plant with reoccurring disease. Needles over 20 feet high are rarely affected. Needles on lower six feet of a tree are most noticeably affected. These black, pimple-like structures produce fungal spores. Within the spots and bands, you may see tiny bumps pushing through the surface of the needle. Older needles found close to the trunk are more severely affected compared to the younger needles that are found towards the ends of the branches. The transition from green to dead areas is abrupt.Įventually, needles turn completely brown and fall off. These two sections are separated by a reddish-brown band. Tip of the needle turns brown while the base of the needle remains green. These spots grow into a band, encircling the needle. Reddish-brown spots scattered on green needles. Young tree infected with Dothistroma needle blight has browning of older needles as well as bare branches from needle drop Needle symptoms
