Sick Limber Pine - Ask Extension
My limber pine, planted roughly 6 years ago, has turned to almost all brown needles. There are a few green needles, but not many. Should I give up o...
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Sick Limber Pine #271052
Asked August 18, 2015, 11:08 AM EDT
My limber pine, planted roughly 6 years ago, has turned to almost all brown needles. There are a few green needles, but not many. Should I give up on it or give it time?
Jefferson County New York
Expert Response
Dear gardener,
If most of the needles are brown during the growing season, you might do well to remove the tree and replace it.
It is difficult to diagnose plant problems from photographs, however I suspect one of two issues. If there is a disease or pest present, there are usually other signs besides the needles. Look for oozing sap, holes in the trunk or bark exfoliation.
The other potential problem is very common with landscape trees, and it often takes several years before the tree dies. Often it is due to improper planting. Inspect the root when you dig up the tree to see if any of these occurred. Sometimes the root is just set too deep, or it settles after planting because the soil at the bottom of the hole was disturbed. The hole should be at least 3 times as wide as the roots, but no deeper than the actual root ball. Trees need to be planted fairly high, so the entire root flare (where the trunk meets the soil) is exposed. From your photos, I cannot determine if this is the case.
A second issue is failure to loosen the roots from the root ball at planting. They need to be gently "tickled out" so that they will grow outward rather than around in the planting hole. Otherwise the tree is eventually strangled by it's own roots.
A third mistake is amending the native soil when backfilling the hole. Use the same soil that was removed. Add an inch of compost on the top of the soil; then cover the hole with 3 inches of organic mulch, being careful to keep it several inches away from the trunk.
If most of the needles are brown during the growing season, you might do well to remove the tree and replace it.
It is difficult to diagnose plant problems from photographs, however I suspect one of two issues. If there is a disease or pest present, there are usually other signs besides the needles. Look for oozing sap, holes in the trunk or bark exfoliation.
The other potential problem is very common with landscape trees, and it often takes several years before the tree dies. Often it is due to improper planting. Inspect the root when you dig up the tree to see if any of these occurred. Sometimes the root is just set too deep, or it settles after planting because the soil at the bottom of the hole was disturbed. The hole should be at least 3 times as wide as the roots, but no deeper than the actual root ball. Trees need to be planted fairly high, so the entire root flare (where the trunk meets the soil) is exposed. From your photos, I cannot determine if this is the case.
A second issue is failure to loosen the roots from the root ball at planting. They need to be gently "tickled out" so that they will grow outward rather than around in the planting hole. Otherwise the tree is eventually strangled by it's own roots.
A third mistake is amending the native soil when backfilling the hole. Use the same soil that was removed. Add an inch of compost on the top of the soil; then cover the hole with 3 inches of organic mulch, being careful to keep it several inches away from the trunk.
