Rhizosphaera Needle Cast vs. the Colorado Blue Spruce

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Jennifer Schultz Nelson
Extension Educator, Horticulture

Tree problems can be very sneaky. A lot of the time they creep in, and before you know it, the problem is staring you in the face, demanding attention. I've had several calls in the last two weeks from owners of Colorado blue spruce trees, all describing the same thing: the needles on their beloved trees are turning purple and eventually falling from the tree. In a word, the trees look horrible. Sometimes the problem is localized, sometimes it seems to be entire trees. The worst situation I've encountered this year is a windbreak of 35 Colorado blue spruce trees affected. Of course, everyone wants to know: what is the problem, and can it be fixed?

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