Dothistroma Needle Blight (Red Band)
Dothistroma septosporum (and/or D
42 host plants
Last updated
Red-band needle blight causes needle browning with distinctive reddish-brown bands. You see characteristic red bands on conifer needles. The fungal disease causes defoliation. Remove infected needles and improve air circulation around susceptible trees.
Remove blighted tissue promptly, cutting well below visible symptoms. Improve air circulation by thinning dense growth. Avoid overhead watering, especially during bloom and new growth periods when tissues are most susceptible. For recurring problems, preventive fungicide applications timed to protect new growth can reduce infection, but cultural controls should be your first approach.
Quick Reference
Management
Cultural Controls
- Remove and destroy blighted plant material and plant debris that is found under trees or caught in limbs.