Page 4 - Quarterly Newsletter - December 2016

Agriculture & Natural Resources — Michelle Buchanan

Pine Wilt Care of Christmas and
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Pine Wilt Facts: turning yellow. Common household temperatures are fine.
 Scots pine is the worst affected pine, but Pine Wilt Soil should be kept constantly moist but not waterlogged.

can also affect Austrian, mugo, and white pine. Give them a light fertilization every other week.
 This disease is caused by the pinewood nematode During the fall, stop fertilizing, and give the plants only
enough water so the stems do not shrivel in order to
which is transferred from tree to tree by the pine encourage
sawyer beetle. flower bud
 Symptoms of Pine Wilt typically appear from August formation.
through December. In general, the trees wilt and die Though
rapidly within a matter of weeks. Branches of the these plants
infected trees will snap when bent instead of flexing seem to
due to a reduction in resin flow. flower best
 Once a tree has been infected with Pine Wilt there is if kept a
no cure! little pot

To slow the spread of the disease to other pines, the bound,
infected tree must be removed to ground level and either flowers will
chipped, burned, or buried before early spring when the diminish if
pine sawyer beetles begin active feeding. they are too
crowded. If
There are products available for preventative you haven't
repotted in
injections. While they do not provide 100 percent control, several

several injectable products significantly decreased pine

wilt infection when used preventively in research trials. years, or if
Injections provide no curative activity. Unfortunately, you notice a
once a tree is infected there is no way to stop the disease! decrease in

flowering from the previous year, move the plant to a

larger pot in the spring. If possible, move the plants

outside for the summer. Choose a shady spot because

these plants will not tolerate full sun. Leave the plants

outside until frost threatens.

Normally, the plants will have received enough cool

nights in the 50 to 55 degree range that flower buds will

have formed. However, if they haven't, subjecting the

plants to nights greater than 12 hours long and

temperatures between 59 and 69 degrees can also generate

flowers. Twenty-five consecutive long nights is enough

for flower initiation. Place the plants in an unused room

or cover them with a dark cloth or cardboard box to insure

that they receive uninterrupted darkness. After the flower

buds have formed, it takes an additional nine to 10 weeks

for flowers to complete development and bloom.