Knowledgebase
new pine tree losing needles #788703
Asked May 01, 2022, 9:24 AM EDT
Hello,
Last fall I had a Bakeri Spruce planted in a new planting bed. Several weeks after the planting the needles on one sideof the trees needles started to fall off. I followed the recommended CSU watering during the winter. The nursery looked at pictures of the dying tree and recommended they replace the tree.
In March the same type of tree was replanted in the same hole. I watered it the recommended way but am seeing the same pattern of needles dropping on the same side of the tree. The needles are dry above the bare branches and break off when touched. I want to help the tree but don't know how.
I did not fertilize the trees the planters only placed in the recommended mulch when planted. The one thing I failed to do before planting was a soil test.
I've attached photos.
Please advise.
Roxie Cheney
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Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Roxie,
I'm sorry to hear about your tree!
Can you tell me a bit more, please:
What side of the tree is losing needles (eg North, East. etc)?
Is the tree close to a parked car, or building, or other structure that can't be seen in the photo?
Are the needles that are falling restricted to the lower portion of the tree, or throughout the canopy?
It looks like you have some drip tubing--are you also watering by another method? I know you said you followed CSU recommendations--but can you tell me what your watering schedule has been, and how much water per watering?
I notice the tree is planted in rocks--what landscape maintenance do you typically do in this area?
Thanks,
John
What side of the tree is losing needles (eg North, East. etc)? East side
Is the tree close to a parked car, or building, or other structure that can't be seen in the photo? No, it is in a new planting area on the side of our home. Photo attached from last fall with the first bakeri spruce. The second bakeri spruce was planted in March of this year.
Are the needles that are falling restricted to the lower portion of the tree, or throughout the canopy? Some of the upper canopy needles will fall off if I brush the stem. The needles are falling off faster in the past week causing the tree to be more bare.
It looks like you have some drip tubing--are you also watering by another method? Before the drip system was turned on 2 weeks ago, I used my hand held hose. I just learned that I should be watering beyond the drip line area so the dry soil around the tree doesn't soak up/wick the moisture away from the ball. So, I started hand watering around the tree drip line. There are three drip lines on this tree giving it 2 gallons per hour and it is set to water three times per week for 20 min total each watering day. It waters half of that time in AM and the other half in PM. The tree trunk 6" up from the ground is 3" in diameter.
I know you said you followed CSU recommendations--but can you tell me what your watering schedule has been, and how much water per watering? I have been giving the tree 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk (30 gallons). For the first tree I used five gallon buckets with holes in the bottom to measure the water and to distribute the water slowly.
On this second tree I went to hand watering and watching for saturation/run off around the tree. However, reading back on the CSU flyer (#635) I realized I wasn't watering every day but every other day as the nursery told me. (And due to the temp. not always above 40 degrees in the early spring months.) I've dug down several inches into the soil to check for moisture and watered accordingly during the rains/snowy weeks. The soil always seems well saturated.
I notice the tree is planted in rocks--what landscape maintenance do you typically do in this area? This area was just developed/planted last summer. All the plants have mulch bark around them. I don't use any chemicals close to the plants but pull the weeds that appear. There is a weed barrier under all the rock-which I am learning may not be a useful thing. :(
https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/needlecast-in-colorado-blue-spruce/ I read this article and it sounds like the same issue. In the other photos attached I noticed the needles seem to die from the tip and move inward to the stem. The needles also have a purple tint. Maybe it is a fungus?? If so, I have never dealt with a fungus so I will need advice.
If I am overwatering, won't the needles show stress by turning yellow?
Thanks so much for your help.
Roxie
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Hi Roxie,
Based on what I can see in your excellent photos, I do not think that you have needle-cast fungus. I should be able to see black fungal material on the needle surfaces. The symptoms are more closely associated with drought stress. This likely occurred over the winter, even with supplemental watering. Particularly on warm days when the ground is frozen, conifers can be under considerable water stress. The purpling appears prevalent on broken needles, which, because their cuticle is damaged, are the most susceptible to drought symptoms.
Especially in newer developments where the soil has been compacted it can be difficult to determine also if the symptoms of underwatering are caused by overwatering. The needles would not necessarily turn yellow; if roots die from oxygen deprivation, the top of the tree will show signs of drought stress.
According to your dripper rates, if I'm understanding your description correctly, you may not be watering enough with them--though if the rootball is moist an inch down, the culprit may be oversaturated/compacted soil.
Keeping tabs on the moisture level in the rootball is one way to get to the answer of under- or over-watering: whatever the "recommended" schedule, base your watering on the condition of that root ball. If it's dry an inch or two down, water! If it's damp, let it ride.
I hope this helps and I hope your tree pulls through!
Cordially,
John
