What's eating my tompa norway spruce?

Tompa Norway Spruce is a compact, globose Picea abies cultivar sharing the same pest vulnerabilities as other Norway spruces. Spider mites and eastern spruce gall adelgids are the primary concerns. Its tight branching can hide early infestations, so check the inner canopy with a white paper shake test each spring.

Bronzed, stippled needles and webbing in the dense canopy; heavy infestations cause significant needle drop. Spray with horticultural oil in spring; repeat with insecticidal soap mid-summer if mites persist; avoid water stress.

Distinctive pineapple-shaped galls at the base of new shoots distort and kill shoot tips. Prune galls before they open (late spring); apply dormant oil in early spring to prevent egg hatch.

Needles turn yellow and drop heavily in late winter to spring; heavily attacked plants can lose most of their foliage. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil when aphids are detected; encourage beneficial insects by avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides.