| Kabatina tip blight: Infection occurs in fall, but symptoms don’t appear until early spring. Kabatina infects through wounds. Branch tips turn dull green then reddish-brown or yellow. Black fruiting bodies appear in small ash-gray lesions at the bases of the dead tips. Dieback occurs only in early spring. Juniper tips that have died from drought, dog urine or winter injury do not contain pycnidia and fade gradually from brown to green instead of having a sharp line dividing the dead and live tissue.
Management: Send a sample to MSU Diagnostic Services. Accurate diagnosis is made by looking at differences in spores. In general, avoid pruning when foliage is wet; avoid shearing or excessive wounding. When pruning out diseased plant tissue, disinfest pruning tools. Water early in the day to allow foliage to dry before nightfall. Avoid excessive fertilization, as it promotes succulent new growth. When installing new plantings, allow enough space between plants for good air circulation. Treatment timing and fungicide recommendations vary depending on which fungus is present.
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