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Norway spruce 'Pumila'

Picea abies 'Pumila'

Also known as : Common spruce 'Pumila'

Norway spruce 'Pumila' is a dwarf, slow-growing Norway spruce cultivar that has a flat-topped, cushion shape. It offers outward-spread branches that are covered with bright green needles. Gardeners favor it for its resistance to browsing and its compact size - it only reaches 1.2 m tall at maturity.

Hardiness Zones

3 to 7

Care Guide for Norway spruce 'Pumila'

Water

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Drought-tolerant. Allow the soil to dry completely between watering.

Sunlight

See Details

Full sun, Partial sun

Hardiness Zones

See Details

3 to 7

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Norway spruce 'Pumila'

Water

Every 1-2 weeks

Sunlight

Full sun

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Lighting

Full sun

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Temperature

-30 35 ℃

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Common Pests & Diseases

Common issues for Norway spruce 'Pumila' based on 10 million real cases

Longhorn beetles

The longhorn beetle is a medium- to large-sized insect with very long antennae and strong jaws. Both its adult and larval stages gnaw on tree trunks, leaving small, round holes.

Solutions: Some longhorn beetles species are native insects, and they cause little damage. Therefore, these don't warrant control. Other longhorn beetles species are invasive pests that were recently introduced from other areas. These species can cause a great deal of damage to hardwood trees. Apply an insecticide containing imidacloprid as a soil injection or trunk injection following product instructions. This will enter into new grow and kill adults who feed on foliage. This will not help save trees that are already infested with large amounts of larvae, but it will save trees located near an infested tree. Contact an arborist for best control practices regarding infected trees. To properly control longhorn beetles, all host plants in a given area must be treated. Contact a local extension agent or state agency. Tracking the spread of longhorn beetles is a key component of their control.

Branch blight

Branch blight can cause lignified branches to dry up entirely and die.

Solutions: Inspect trees frequently, and remove any infected branches as soon as possible. Branch blight cannot be cured, so the only treatment is to prune the tree and monitor it carefully for signs of the disease. All affected parts of the tree should be removed, since blight can survive over the winter inside the plant’s tissues. Blight can become systemic in the tree, in which case the entire plant should be removed so it does not remain a host for the pathogen and allow it to spread.

Dieback

There are several possible causes for dieback.

Solutions: There are a few things to try when dieback becomes apparent: Fertilize and water the plants - these two steps, along with judicious pruning, can help reduce the stress on the root system and encourage renewed vigor Have an arborist check to see if plant roots are girdling Test soil pH and adjust accordingly Remove and destroy infected twigs and branches

Fruit withering

Fungal infection or normal ripening can cause the fruit to dry out.

Solutions: There are a number of appropriate solutions to control fruit withering: Remove any fruit as soon as it shows any signs of infection. Do not compost. Use a fungicide prior to leaf bud and then as per manufacturers instructions throughout the season.

Crown gall

Bacterial infections can cause abnormal brown or black growths on the trunk of the tree. These are also called crown galls.

Solutions: Remove infected tissue. Established trees can survive a crown gall infection, but the galls should be removed to improve the plant's appearance. Use pruning shears to remove the gall, then treat the wound with a pruning sealer. Discard pruned material by putting it in the trash or burning it to avoid infecting other plants. Sterilize the pruning shears after removing the galls. Remove the entire plant. If a small plant is infected with a serious case of crown gall, the best option is to remove the entire plant and burn it. This will prevent bacteria from spreading to other plants. Sterilize the soil. After removing infected tissue, sterilize the soil using heat. Alternatively, plant a gall-resistant plant in the same spot.

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Overview

Longhorn beetles are characterized by extremely long antennae which are often as long as, or longer, than the beetle's body. Adult longhorn beetles vary in size, shape, and coloration, depending upon the species. They may be 6 to 76 mm long. The larvae are worm-like with a wrinkled, white to yellowish body and a brown head.

Longhorn beetles are active throughout the year, but adults are most active in the summer and fall. Larvae feed on wood throughout the year.

Both larvae and adults feed on woody tissue. Some of the most susceptible species include ash, birch, elm, poplar, and willow.

If left untreated, longhorn beetles can kill trees.

Symptom Analysis

Longhorn beetles are attracted to wounded, dying, or freshly-cut hardwood trees. Adults lay their eggs in the spring, summer, and fall on the bark of greenwood. There may be sap around egg-laying sites.

Once the eggs hatch, larvae called round-headed borers burrow into the trunk to feed. They may tunnel for one to three years depending on the wood's nutritional content. As the larvae feed, they release sawdust-like frass at the base of the tree.

Eventually, the larvae turn into pupae and then adults. When the adults emerge, they leave 1 cm holes in the bark on their way out. Adults feed on leaves, bark, and shoots of trees before laying eggs.

After a few years of being fed upon by longhorn beetles, a tree will begin losing leaves. Eventually, it will die.

Solutions

Some longhorn beetles species are native insects, and they cause little damage. Therefore, these don't warrant control.

Other longhorn beetles species are invasive pests that were recently introduced from other areas. These species can cause a great deal of damage to hardwood trees.

Apply an insecticide containing imidacloprid as a soil injection or trunk injection following product instructions. This will enter into new grow and kill adults who feed on foliage. This will not help save trees that are already infested with large amounts of larvae, but it will save trees located near an infested tree.
Contact an arborist for best control practices regarding infected trees.
To properly control longhorn beetles, all host plants in a given area must be treated.
Contact a local extension agent or state agency. Tracking the spread of longhorn beetles is a key component of their control.

Prevention

Keeping trees healthy, uninjured, and unstressed will help prevent beetle infestation. Water trees appropriately, giving neither too much nor too little.
Check with local tree companies about which tree species have fewer problems.
Avoid moving firewood as this can introduce exotic longhorn beetles.
Routine spraying of persistent, broad-spectrum insecticides will help prevent re-infestation of previously affected trees or infestation of unaffected trees.

Overview

"Blight" is an umbrella term used to describe a category of tree diseases caused by fungus or bacteria. Branch blight occurs when fungus attacks the branches and twigs of a tree, resulting in branches slowly dying off.

Branch blight can affect most species of trees to some degree, and it may be called by different names including twig blight or stem blight. It is caused by a variety of fungi which attack branches first, especially immature growth.

Blight usually occurs in warm, humid conditions, so is most common in the spring and summer months. Because specific environmental conditions are required, the frequency of branch blight can vary from year to year. This makes the disease hard to control, as it can spread between trees and affect multiple plants in a short period of time.

In the worst-case scenario, trees can lose significant portions of their foliage and fail to produce fruit. Young or unhealthy trees could die off completely.

Symptom Analysis

The first symptoms of branch blight are that the emerging foliage turns brown or gray at the tips, especially on the smallest branches. Brown spots cover the entire surface of the leaves, eventually causing leaves and stems to shrivel and fall off. Over time, the dying tissue will spread toward the center of the plant. If left untreated, spores from the attacking fungus may appear on dying foliage within 3-4 weeks of the infection.

In some cases, lesions may form at the spot where the twig branches off from the healthy tissue. Branches may display girdling, which is a band of damaged tissue encircling the branch. An untreated tree will eventually lose all of its foliage and die.

Disease Cause

Pathogens on young twigs and foliage cause disease
Stressed and unhealthy trees are more susceptible - root injury due to physical or insect damage, infection, or aging can prevent adequate absorption of water and nutrients
Extremely wet conditions including sprinkler watering can attract fungus
Fungi can be transmitted between nearby trees

Solutions

Inspect trees frequently, and remove any infected branches as soon as possible. Branch blight cannot be cured, so the only treatment is to prune the tree and monitor it carefully for signs of the disease.
All affected parts of the tree should be removed, since blight can survive over the winter inside the plant’s tissues.
Blight can become systemic in the tree, in which case the entire plant should be removed so it does not remain a host for the pathogen and allow it to spread.

Prevention

Avoid purchasing trees with dead or dying growth.
Sterilize cutting tools frequently when pruning to avoid spreading fungus between plants.
Keep trees mulched and watered, especially during dry periods, to prevent stress.
Avoid splashing water on the leaves when watering, as wet foliage is attractive to fungi and bacteria.
When planting, allow enough room between trees that there will be sufficient air circulation for them to dry out. Crowding trees too close together can increase humidity and allow the fungi to transfer.
When conditions are wet and humid, a fungicide can be used on new growth.

Overview

Dealing with dieback in plants can be tricky, in part because this is both the name of a disease itself and a common symptom of many other types of diseases. Dieback can be characterized by the progressive, gradual death of shoots, twigs, roots, and branches, generally starting first at the tips.

In many cases, dieback is caused by fungi or bacteria. These pathogens can produce cankers, wilts, stem or root rots, and even anthracnose, but the most common symptom, of course, is that various plant parts (or the entire plant) will begin to die back.

Symptom Analysis

The symptoms of dieback can be gradual or slightly more abrupt. Usually, however, they are slow in developing and tend to be uniform among the various parts of a plant.

Some plants may have more localized symptoms, with all twigs affected or all branches affected but not the rest of the plant. Some potential symptoms include:

Dead or dying branches and twigs
Dieback that starts in the top of a plant and progresses downward (though it can start lower, especially for conifers)
A delayed flush of growth in the spring
Leaf margins become scorched
Pale green or yellow leaves
Leaves that are small or otherwise distorted
Early leaf drop
Reduced growth of twigs and stems
Thinning of crown foliage
Production of suckers on trunk and branches
Premature fall coloration (in tree species like birch, sweetgum, maple, oak, ash, etc)

The symptoms of dieback can occur within just one season or become worse each and every year.

Disease Cause

There are several types of dieback, each of which has a different cause with which it is associated.

"dieback" as a standalone issue, including the condition known as Staghead, is caused by fungal or bacterial infections. Staghead is a slow dieback that occurs on the upper branches of a tree, named as such because the dead limbs look much like the head of a stag.

Other causes of dieback symptoms include:

Cankers or wilts
Stem or root rots
Nematodes
Stem or root boring insects
Pavement being placed over root systems
Winter injury from cold
Salt damage
Lack of moisture (or excess of moisture)
Lack of an essential nutrient or element

Trees and shrubs that are attacked by insects, exposed to extremely high or low temperatures, or experience severe and frequent fluctuations in soil moisture are the most likely to suffer from dieback. These stress factors alone or in combination with each other can reduce leaf and shoot growth, and progress into death of twigs and branches.

Although any of these issues can lead to dieback, the most serious consequences tend to occur when the roots of a plant are damaged. Similarly, trees and shrubs that are planted improperly or in unfavorable locations are more likely to develop this condition.

Solutions

There are a few things to try when dieback becomes apparent:

Fertilize and water the plants - these two steps, along with judicious pruning, can help reduce the stress on the root system and encourage renewed vigor
Have an arborist check to see if plant roots are girdling
Test soil pH and adjust accordingly
Remove and destroy infected twigs and branches

Prevention

The best way to prevent dieback is to match the plant to the site. Make sure the conditions provided for a new planting match its needs.

Plant properly in deep, fertile well-draining soil
Make sure plant roots won’t be confined when the plant reaches its mature size
Avoid changes to the growing site
If soil compaction might be an issue, apply a few inches of wood chips and eliminate traffic over the root area
Fertilize and water appropriately

It is also important to avoid potential infection with pathogens that can cause dieback:

Avoid binding or wounding the roots and trunk whenever possible
Avoid excessive pruning
Disinfect all tools before working with plants to reduce the spread of disease

Overview

Fruit withering is common on many tree fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, cherries, and plums, as well as fruiting shrubs. It is caused by a fungal pathogen and will result in wrinkled and desiccated fruit.

Symptom Analysis

Here are the most common symptoms in the order that they are likely to occur.

Both leaves and blossom on the tips of branches will go brown and wither.
Gray powdery patches will appear on infected leaves and flowers, and this will be most apparent after rain.
Any fruit that does appear will turn wrinkled and fail to develop.
Branch tips begin to die, progressing back to larger branches, causing general deterioration of the tree or plant.

Disease Cause

The withering is caused by one of two fungal pathogens, one called Monilina laxa and the other called M. fructigen. The spores overwinter on infected plant material and are then spread the following spring by wind, rain, or animal vectors. The problem will start to become noticeable in mid-spring, but will increase in severity as summer progresses and the fungus grows. If not addressed, the disease will intensify and spread to other plants in the vicinity.

Solutions

There are a number of appropriate solutions to control fruit withering:

Remove any fruit as soon as it shows any signs of infection. Do not compost.
Use a fungicide prior to leaf bud and then as per manufacturers instructions throughout the season.

Prevention

Preventative measures include:

Ensuring adequate spacing between plants or trees.
Staking plants that are prone to tumbling to prevent moisture or humidity build up.
Prune correctly so that there is adequate air movement and remove any dead or diseased branches that may carry spores.
Practice good plant hygiene by removing fallen material and destroying it as soon as possible.

Overview

Crown gall is a bacterial disease that affects many different species of shrubs. It produces unsightly growths called galls on stems, branches, and roots. These galls stunt the growth of plants and weaken them. This is because they disrupt the flow of water and nutrients from the roots up to other areas of the plant.

Crown gall growth is generally more rapid during warm weather. There are no chemical solutions available that will kill this disease. The presence of galls does not usually cause the death of a plant, however. These galls can easily be spread to other plants through contaminated tools or soil.

Symptom Analysis

Crown gall is most often seen on lower branches. This disease appears as deformed growths on stems, branches, or roots that gradually enlarge over time.

As the galls enlarge, they become hard and woody. Their appearance is usually brown and corky. The plant will show symptoms of stunted growth and there may be evidence of tip dieback.

Disease Cause

Crown gall is caused by the bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This bacteria lives in the soil, and can survive there for many years. It is spread onto the plant by water splashing up from contaminated soil. Infected pruning tools can also spread the disease onto plants.

The bacteria enter the plant through open wounds. These could be caused by chewing insects or damage from gardening tools such as lawnmowers. Pruning cuts that have not been treated can also be infected by this bacterial disease.

Once the bacteria have entered the plant, they stimulate rapid growth in plant cells, and this is what causes the abnormal growths.

Solutions

Remove infected tissue. Established trees can survive a crown gall infection, but the galls should be removed to improve the plant's appearance. Use pruning shears to remove the gall, then treat the wound with a pruning sealer. Discard pruned material by putting it in the trash or burning it to avoid infecting other plants. Sterilize the pruning shears after removing the galls.
Remove the entire plant. If a small plant is infected with a serious case of crown gall, the best option is to remove the entire plant and burn it. This will prevent bacteria from spreading to other plants.
Sterilize the soil. After removing infected tissue, sterilize the soil using heat. Alternatively, plant a gall-resistant plant in the same spot.

Prevention

To prevent crown gall, avoid introducing and spreading the bacteria that causes it.

Avoid infected plants. Inspect all new plants for symptoms. Dispose of any plants that show signs of crown gall.
Sanitize pruning tools. Use an approved sanitizing solution to treat pruning shears both before and after use. A freshly-mixed solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water will be most effective.
Avoid mounding soil around the crown of the plant, keeping this area as dry as possible. Remove dead branches and leaves to prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases.
Utilize beneficial bacteria. The beneficial bacterium Agrobacterium radiobacter strain 84 can be used during planting to prevent crown gall. To use, simply dip bare-rooted plants in the solution, or water rooted plants with a solution of the aforementioned bacteria.
Correct overly alkaline soils. Crown gall-causing bacteria thrive in alkaline soils, so check the pH level of the soil and reduce the alkalinity.

More Info

Plant Type

Shrub

Scientific Classification

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Conifers

Order

Pines and allies

Family

Pine

Genus

Spruces

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Care Guide for Norway spruce 'Pumila'

More About How-Tos

Common Pests & Diseases

More Info

Scientific Classification

Related Articles

Care Guide for Norway spruce 'Pumila'

More About How-Tos

Common Pests & Diseases

More Info

Scientific Classification

Related Articles

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