A conifer hedge as a privacy screen in the garden or a great solitary perennial in the front garden are always a special eye-catcher. But at some point you notice that one or more conifers have brown, dried out spots. Various immediate measures are required here.
What to do if the conifer gets brown spots?
If a conifer turns brown, there may be causes such as incorrect cutting, lack of water, magnesium deficiency or mold diseases. To avoid this, site selection, fertilization, cutting, soil loosening, watering and pest control should be taken into account.
What can cause brown spots on the conifer?
Dried or brown spots on a conifer can have a variety of causes. The discoloration is often caused by the weather or is caused by care errors, such as:
- incorrect cutting
- lack of watering due to prolonged drought
- Magnesium deficiency
- Mold diseases
Damage caused by pruning
Conifers tolerate pruning and recover well from pruning. However, if the cuts are too severe and go into the old wood, the plant can no longer renew itself. There are no new shoots at this point. But since the other branches are still growing well, they can be carefully bent so that they fill the bare areas. The branches can be loosely secured with cable ties for some time until they grow on their own in the given direction.
Brown conifers due to lack of water
Conifers like moist soil and should be watered regularly in summer if there is not enough rain.
Lack of water leads to brown spots, which, however, are renewed by the plant with sufficient water supply. However, if the conifer is completely dried out and has turned brown, it is difficult to save it. In some circumstances, a trench around the plant that is filled with water until the root ball is soaked can be helpful.
Magnesium deficiency in soil
If the conifers turn brown mainly at the bottom and in the middle, a magnesium deficiency in the soil may be to blame.
This deficiency can be corrected with special fertilizer (€15.00 at Amazon) from the gardening store remedy. The fertilizer is administered exactly as directed. In granular form, the fertilizer can be wonderfully raked into the soil. To prevent a magnesium deficiency, it is best to supply the hedge with a complete fertilizer for conifers in spring.
Brown discoloration due to mold diseases
Thuja, taxus and Leyland cypress are among the conifers that are susceptible to mold diseases. This disease causes the branches of the bush to die. The only thing that helps here is to immediately cut off the affected parts. After cutting, all tools must be disinfected to prevent the disease from spreading.
If the infestation is severe, it is advisable to use a fungicide. You can prevent mold infestation by trimming the hedge correctly. The cut should be done so that the inside of the bush also gets light. A slightly pyramid-shaped cut ensures that the lower areas of the conifer also receive light.
Tips to avoid tanning
It is not always possible to avoid brown spots on a conifer. However, if you follow the following tips, brown branches can usually be avoided:
- choose a location that is not too sunny
- annual fertilization with Epsom s alt
- cut in overcast weather, the sun dries out the cuts too quickly
- Frequently loosen the soil
- water regularly
- check for pests, fight pests
