Christmas Trees Edition
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Seasonal pest alerts and news about insects, diseases, and weeds impacting Christmas Tree production including Commercial Ag Updates (meetings and marketing); and Pesticide Program updates from the Rutgers Pest Management Office News Blog.
Companion Website Links:
Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
NEW: Rutgers Private Applicator 2023 Online License Renewal Assistance Available Daily Until October 31st!
Why Do Spruce Christmas Trees Show Interior Needle Discoloration?
Occasionally, observations of White Spruce (Picea glauca) or Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) within landscapes, nurseries, & Christmas tree farms will show current needle growth having a blue or blue-green color, but with older, inner needles having lost the desirable color and turning pale or even yellow. Although sometimes seen on Norway Spruce, these symptoms are most common on the White & Colorado Spruce species. Sometimes symptoms can become dramatic and initiate both aesthetic and plant health concerns. Although the reasons for such symptoms can be from a complex number of conditions, a compromised root system is typically the underlying cause.
Colorado Spruce showing symptoms of undesirable discoloration of older, inner needles. Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke of Rutgers Coop. Ext.
Virtual Pesticide Recertification Credit Series – Horticulture 3x Sessions
Sessions hosted by Tim Waller and Bill Errickson – through RCE of Cumberland County
Individual Sessions – October 13th (Th), 20th (Th), 26th (W) 6-7:00pm (Login @ 5:30pm)
Please join us as we discuss topics applicable to all horticulture applicators – the classes of chemistries we use, which to use under various circumstances, and safe handling thereof. These sessions are valuable to our general understanding of IPM tactics via a deeper understanding of the tools available to us.
NOTE: These free virtual sessions (on Zoom) will count as “in-person”, meaning all attendees will receive offered CEUs if they: have a live video feed (and are visible) and upload a government issued photo ID + NJ Pesticide license prior via a secure Rutgers Connect folder (follow directions below, only the agents will have access to information for verification). This approach avoids the 25% online credit restrictions previously in place for those with licenses NOT expiring 10/31/2022.
Government issued photo ID and NJ Pesticide License upload:
- Click here to upload BOTH your government issued Photo ID and Pesticide License prior to the meeting
- Upload directions: If you click on the photo ID upload link using a smart phone/tablet you will have the option of simply taking a photo of your ID and uploading it directly into the system. Otherwise, you can scan a copy of your photo ID into a computer and follow the directions at the upload link. If you are unable to upload documentation prior to the meeting, please contact Tim Waller for assistance (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu).
- Please upload files of your photo ID and applicator license to the link above as; “Last name_ First_ Photo ID” AND “Last name_ First_ Pesticide License”
Sessions: (You must register for each session individually, but only need to upload ID material one time)
Date: 10/13/2022 (Thursday)
- Click here to register for 10/13 (TH)
- How Chemicals Work and Which to Use (Tim Waller, Ph.D. RCE – Cumberland Co.)
- Tim Waller will be discussing the various types of chemistries and classes thereof that are available for use in comestible agriculture to horticulture to right-of-way to green industries when treating some form of pest (diseases, insects, weeds, etc.). He will explain how these materials behave in or on plants, their effects on pests, when to use which materials, proper handling and safety considerations, and concepts of pesticide resistance that will ultimately lead to better chemical stewardship.
- CEUs: CORE-2, 1A-2, 3A-2, 3B-2, 6B-2, 8C-2, 10-2, PP2-2
Date: 10/20/2022 (Thursday)
- Click here to register for 10/20 (TH)
- Science and Application of Horticultural Sanitation Techniques (Bill Errickson / Tim Waller – RCE – Monmouth / Cumberland Co.)
- Bill Errickson and Tim Waller will be discussing sanitation techniques that are broadly applicable to horticulture. Sanitation basics, chemical types, and locations where to best utilize sanitation approaches, will be covered. Sanitizing chemistries and pesticides will be highlighted throughout this presentation and will focus on proper handling and safety as many of these compounds are potentially dangerous. Throughout the presentation pest or plant life cycles will be discussed to demonstrate implementation of sanitation techniques.
- CEUs: CORE-2, 3A-2, 10-2, PP2-2
Date: 10/26/2022 (Wednesday)
- Click here to register for 10/26 (W)
- Horticulture Pesticide Safety and Regulation Updates (George Hamilton, Ph.D. – Rutgers Extension Specialist – Pest Management; NJ Pesticide Safety)
- Dr. George Hamilton will be discussing the reasons for wearing protective equipment (PPE) and the proper types of equipment to use. He will also cover regulations related to recording keeping and application exclusions as well as other pesticide safety related topics.
- CEUs: CORE-2
Contact RCE of Cumberland County – 856-451-2800 ext.1 with any questions.
ALSO – Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County (254 County House Rd, Clarksboro, NJ 08020) is holding an in-person, half-day event, on Tuesday, October 18th from 9:00AM to 12:00PM at their office. Please click here for additional information. CEUs offered at that meeting: CORE-3, 1A-3, 3A-3, 3B-3, PP2-3
Instructions for Virtual Sessions:
- Register for each session individually at the above links
- Include your pesticide license number and date of birth if you would like recertification credits
- After registration you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the actual twilight meeting.
- Upload a copy of your government issued photo ID and pesticide license at the link above
- Day-of – 5:30pm: follow confirmation email link to the session (you may need to copy-paste it)
- Day-of: Have your video on if you wish to obtain credits
Required to be eligible to receive pesticide applicator recertification credits for these virtual programs:
1. Attend the entire meeting with live VIDEO feed on, seated in the center of the frame. Those without a webcam or phone attendees without a live video feed are not eligible to receive credits. Call-ins (audio only) are not eligible for pesticide recertification credits as of now; you need a computer/phone/tablet with *live* video capability. If you choose to access via your smartphone, it is recommended that it is fully charged or plugged in; and that any background applications are not running.
2. Attendees must participate throughout the entire session, staying to the end. Individuals are not eligible for credits if they arrive after the start of the first training topic or leave before the end of the last topic. Polls will be randomly scheduled, and attendance will be visually monitored to verify attendance.
Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe. Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training event.
Spruce Spider Mites: A Key Cool Season Mite Pest
Spruce spider mite species (Oligonychus ununguis) are found in Christmas tree farms as well as landscapes & nurseries in the New Jersey region. The late weeks of September & early weeks of October are transition periods for this cool season mite. With the arrival of autumn & cooler temperatures, the spruce spider mites begin to “wake up” from their summer dormancy & will be observed feeding & laying eggs. Observations this past week in Christmas tree farms have shown increased activities of the spruce spider mites. This spider mite species will feed exclusively on various conifers including spruce, fir, Douglas-fir, hemlock, Cryptomeria, arborvitae, false-cypress, pine, & juniper.
This Christmas tree farm is an ideal site for potential spruce spider mite infestations. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Nutrient Management for Christmas Trees
Joseph Heckman, Extension Soil Fertility
Whatever the crop, soil testing and record keeping are guides to sustainable soil fertility and nutrient management. When soil tests levels are low, Christmas tree growers should attempt to build soil fertility levels into the optimum range. And once that goal has been achieved, growers should focus on maintaining soil test levels in the optimum range.
This practice requires information on balancing fertilizer amendments with crop nutrient removal. In the case Christmas Trees, this means nutrients associated with harvest of cut trees. Rutgers NJAES has this type of data already built into an extension fact sheet: Soil Fertility Recommendations for Christmas Trees https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1187/
For nutrient management purposes it is useful to know what a harvested or cut Christmas Tree removes from the soil. On average, a harvest of 100 cut Christmas Trees contains 29 lb. Nitrogen, 3 lb. Phosphorus, 8 lb. Potassium, 12 lb. Calcium, 2 lb. Magnesium, and 1 lb. Sulfur.
An average fresh cut Christmas Tree that is 92 inches tall may be expected to have a fresh weight of about 48.5 lb. Water typically makes up about 54% of a fresh cut tree weight. Thus, on a dry basis a cut tree would have a weight of about 22.4 lb.
Tree recycling and mulch making are now common in many communities. If the trees are shredded the nutrient content data above can be used to estimate the nutrient density of the resulting wood chips.
Reference:
Zinati, G., J.R. Heckman, and M. Vodak. 2016. Nutrient Removal by Christmas Tree Harvest. Journal Plant Nutrition. 39: 1506-1512.
Douglas-fir Needle Midge: The Twisted Menace
The Douglas-fir Needle Midge (Contarinia pseudotsugae) is host specific to only Douglas-firs. The insect infests needles & symptoms create a twisted distortion having yellow banding discolorations with swollen areas. Inside the swollen areas of the needle are fly larvae (maggots) of the Douglas-fir needle midge (DFNM). Typically scouting observations for needle infestations can begin to be easily observed during mid-summer. At maturity, the swollen areas turn brown or purple. The maggot is less than 5.0 mm in size & later in the season, the larvae can be exposed by opening the necrotic swollen area using a sewing needle. Symptoms can mimic those caused by Cooley spruce gall adelgids. The needle cast diseases (Swiss or Rhabdocline) can also sometimes mimic the symptoms if the infestation is serious enough to cause thinning from excessive needle drop.
Late season symptoms from a severe infestation of the Douglas-fir Needle Midge. The resulting needle distortion & twisting can sometimes become extreme. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
