Tree Damage

A promising new herbicide was introduced to the market last year featuring a 90 day control of broadleaf weeds in roughs and natives. This is music to every Superintendent's ears to control all of the tough weeds in natives with one application in early summer and one in the fall. Evidently, enough trials were not conducted on this product before it went to market and we have found out it controls white pines and spruce trees as well. We are currently working with the representatives of this company and other users to figure out why the damage occured, how long will it effect the trees, and if the trees will bounce out of the damage or continue to decline.

The top picture is the initial stages which curl the tips of the branches. The second and third pictures show the progression of the damage throughout the entire tree. The damage did not show up until 30 days after the application and we are hoping the trees will start rebounding within a month. It is a great product which has kept our natives very clean and we will continue to utilize the technology, but we learned the hard way to steer clear of any areas with pines and spruces.