Fact Sheet

Diplodia Shoot Blight

Have you noticed spring dieback in tree shoots or whole branches slowly declining over time?

This could be a sign of a diplodia shoot blight.

The Problem

This disease spreads in spring when spores infect newly expanding shoots. While healthy trees can often stop the infection early, stressed trees may experience more serious damage over time.

Signs and symptoms include:

Dieback of new shoots shortly after they emerge in spring.
Cankers on branches
Whole branch death
Intermittent flare-ups of symptoms after periods of stress, such as drought or injury

Co-occurring issues or look-alike symptoms:
Dothistroma needle blight, pine needle scale, and salt damage.

The Vineland Prescription

For diplodia blight treatment, apply three foliar treatments at 14-day intervals starting just before bud break.
Ensure irrigation is not spraying foliage.
Mulch trees to conserve soil moisture, and water trees in dry conditions.
Prune out infected tissue during dry conditions. Do not prune in wet conditions.
Do not fertilize infected trees.

The Prognosis

Foliar treatments can be effective. However, this will be an ongoing issue and the tree will need to be treated annually.

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