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How to treat an ailing pine #169431

Asked March 10, 2014, 1:36 AM EDT

I am in Spring City and have a 40-50 foot pine (I think a sugar pine?) that is sick.  many of the branches appear to be dying, and I am wondering if there is something I can do to save the tree.

Sanpete County Utah

Expert Response

It is very unlikely that it is a sugar pine. It is extremely rare in Utah. We need to know what tree species we are dealing with and what the symptoms are. Could you send photos of the needles and cones (for ID) and of the entire canopy and the trunk (to help determine what is wrong)?
An Ask Extension Expert Replied March 10, 2014, 2:57 PM EDT
Sorry I was so vague.  I will send photos of the tree and needles so you can figure out the type of tree and the problem.  I will be out of town from the 12th to the 20th, so it may be a while before I get the pictures to you.  Are you in Ephraim, or somewhere else?  I could bring you some needles and cones if that would help.
Chris
The Question Asker Replied March 10, 2014, 3:18 PM EDT
I am a statewide specialist based in Logan on the USUS campus.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied March 10, 2014, 3:25 PM EDT
Will these help?
The Question Asker Replied March 10, 2014, 10:19 PM EDT
Somehow, the same image got sent three times before.  Here are a couple more.
The Question Asker Replied March 10, 2014, 10:23 PM EDT
Here are some closer shots of the needles.
The Question Asker Replied March 11, 2014, 10:17 AM EDT
Your tree is a Scots (Scotch) pine (Pinus sylvestris). It has iron chlorosis. In Utah this usually is caused by high soil pH, but it can be made worse by waterlogging, soil compaction, and high phosphorus levels in the soil. It gets worse over the years if you have carbonates in the irrigation water that accumulate in the soil. It is almost impossible to reduce bulk soil pH, but it may he possible to change pH in small areas that give the tree enough access to iron. This is done by auguring holes into the soil in a grid around the tree and filling them with ferrous sulfate and granular sulfur. This also eases soil compaction if you do it enough. This and several other methods are described in a couple of articles I have on my website at http://forestry.usu.edu/htm/city-and-town/tree-care/preventing-and-treating-iron-chlorosis-in-trees-and-shrubs. Let me know if you have questions.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied March 11, 2014, 11:39 PM EDT

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