Brown patches on conifers

[oldgit72]

I planted some small conifers last Autumn and on my return to France this week have found that they have some brown patches mostly around the base. Could this be due to the very cold, dry and windy weather this winter or could there be another reason? I have watered them since returning as the ground does seem to be very dry for this time of year.

 

Thanks

[woolybanana]

Brown patches are a sign that New Labour has been calling for your vote. A bit like skid marks are a sign of stomach problems[6]

[Bugsy]

[quote user="oldgit72"]

I planted some small conifers last Autumn and on my return to France this week have found that they have some brown patches mostly around the base.

They were probably missing you.[:P]

Could this be due to the very cold, dry and windy weather this winter or could there be another reason? I have watered them since returning as the ground does seem to be very dry for this time of year.

If they are in the ground, as opposed to pots, they certainly do not need water at this time of year.

 

Thanks

[/quote]

.

[oldgit72]

Bugsy, it's almost as though they may as well have stayed in their pots over the winter as they don't sem to have absorbed much in the way of moisture from the soil around. It is extremely dry here. I have watered them as I would have if they were in pots. As an aside, I have read on another post a few years back where someone suggested 'Paulownia' as an alternative to conifers for growing screening plants. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia

 

 

 

Has anyone grown these and if so, to what success? 

[Christine Animal]

What about

Bamboo

 

[Grumpy]

What species of conifer are they? In general drought would lead to an overall browning of the foliage, not defined patches.  The same would be true of  wind burn although this would more generally be seen on the tips and edges of needles.

The problem could be a leaf miner or a fungal attack. For both you should be able to find a propriatory treatment in the shops.

Grumpy

[Bertiebe]

We too have the odd brown patch on a very well established conifer.  The rest of the tree is now producing new growth, but the brown branches have no needles left on them at all.

Looked it up on the web and found a site that said extreme weather conditions, wet, cold, dry, windy can effect the trees, and we have certainly had all 4 seasons in one month this winter here in the Pyrenees.

I am hoping the rest of the tree will continue to grow and recover for the summer.

Good luck hope yours will too.

[Grumpy]

There is also an annoying aphid called Cypress aphid that strikes in spring.  No known control.  It attackes more than cupress and cuprocupress so Thuja and other conifers may be affected.

Grumpy

ps anyone found a spell check on this site?