Help any gardeners????

[Salbag777]

Something like little white balls of fluff appears to be  killing my tree, it's a small pine tree, needles all going black. Any ideas how to save it, it's very special as my parents bought it for me 3 years ago and they both died this year 

[Jock719]

Sounds like mould,I think you can get a treatment from the Ferreterias , a general anti fungal sprayed on should help, is it a European pine tree?

[Salbag777]

We bought it at happy plants down in Tefia? I'm really not sure what it is!

[colinblue]

If it´s the same problem that I have had I use an insecticide concentrate made by SIPCAM marked up as Insecticida Natural and containing Azadiractin. On the box the white things are called mosca blanca. I bought mine from Marcial in Corralejo and use 1 ml diluted in a typical plant sprayer ( approx 6-8 inches high) available in all the Chinese shops. It works well. To help get started get a cloth or blush and clean the plant of the white as much as you can, the insecticide will do the rest.

[Salbag777]

Thank you, I will get some today!

[colinblue]

Forgot to say it comes in a small orange and white box with two two green circles showing the bugs. Costs just over six euros but lasts a long time.

[Jock719]

Could be needle blight, a condition where the needles turn brown/ black and then fall off can be caused by a fungus but more likely environmental stresses, prolonged drought and lack of nutrients....a first step might be water it well and then feed it with plant food, the soil here, such as it is, doesn't hold nutrients so you need to feed anything that's planted in the ground! Another major factor, specific to pines, is salt in the soil, certain species of one are very susceptible to even low levels of salt. Finally, root ball confinement can cause needle blight,mid the roots are confined by rocks, adjacent landscaping or compacted soils can also be a cause. If its a small tree you might consider transplanting it into a container where you can control the environment better. Best of luck !

[Jock719]

P.s the above mentioned insecticide combined with watering and feeding should do the job, that's the stuff I mentioned, I couldn't remember the name!

[woe10]

Colinblue. Mosca is a fly. Blanca is white. Work it out 

[colinblue]

And your point is Woe10

[Salbag777]

Thanks everyone! I wasn't here for 6 months and it's in the communal garden which I assume lost it's grey water for a while! I have sprayed it this afternoon and will keep monitoring it! It's 5 foot high now so can't really move it, and on the watering system. If I move it then it won't get watered when I'm not here.  I must admit first of all I looked at the black and thought it might be lack of water.

[colinblue]

If it is what I´ve suggested it takes some getting rid of. i would spray every day for a week. I t also is prone to coming back. I have three plants that become affected, once it is free a spray once a week keeps it at bay. There again it might be something else, good luck.

[Snowdrop]

We were told by happy plants when we described something very similar yo what you describe it is the cochineal beetle.   Seems to loads of it in Corralejo so difficult to stop it coming back.  If you keep spraying the leaves with a hose this helps get rid of them.

[esty]

Hi Sal

Something Jock mentioned about certain pines being susceptible to salt, bearing in mind tap water is desalinated but still contains a high salt content it would be advisable only to use the grey water where possible and when it's unavailable it may be better not to water it or better still use spring water with some soluble fertiliser. If you know Dave and Margaret who set up the garden it might be worth talking to then about it if you haven't already and explain things they may be able to offer some assistance when you're not here,  I would offer but don't have particularly green fingers however I know a fair bit about it because my father is a fanatical gardener. Best of luck hope you have success.

Over to you ole man river.

[Salbag777]

Thanks Keith, I haven't seen Dave, he doesn't tend to come out much in the heat! I have taken photos but don't know how to put them on!

[Ole Man River]

Hi All;
We have a bit of advice & info on this but sorry, trying to upload some photos (from Photo bucket or the computer has got me beat!!!)
Can someone please give me the "idiot guide" for us "not so IT savvy" folks to do this?
Thanks.  

[Ole Man River]

Got all the info from my other post on uploading from Photo bucket, thanks.
Will come back later with comments on the subject. Have a photo of your tree Sal.   & of the infestations that are around. We put it on the Tam./Pueblo Forum but it seems to have gone down???
-   

[Ole Man River]

                                                           OMG!
                         Sorry put it all on the other post  - "uploading photos"!


(must be all the stress of getting the photos on - getting too Ol*!)

(but thanks again Deso! )