What's eating my veitch fir?

Veitch Fir, a Japanese alpine species grown as a garden ornamental, is attacked by fir adelgids, which cause galls and shoot dieback. Scale insects colonize bark. Spider mites are problematic in dry summers. Deer browse young trees. Its relatively restricted cultivation means outbreaks are usually localized but can disfigure ornamental specimens significantly.

Woolly white tufts at shoot bases; needle distortion, gall swelling, and dieback of affected shoots Horticultural oil in early spring before bud break; remove galled shoots; systemic imidacloprid for persistent infestations

Waxy brown bumps on twigs and branches; yellowing needles and weakened growth Dormant oil spray; prune and destroy heavily infested branches

Dull, stippled or bronzed needles; fine webbing on shoots during hot, dry weather Improve air circulation; blast with water; apply miticide or insecticidal soap if infestation persists

Browsed new foliage and broken central leaders on young plants Wire mesh guards on young trees; physical fencing in high-deer-pressure gardens