Pine needle yellowing - Ask Extension
The needles on our seedling white pine began turning yellow then brown. The needles at the top are brown and the yellowing is moving down the sapling....
Knowledgebase
Pine needle yellowing #839657
Asked July 08, 2023, 5:22 PM EDT
The needles on our seedling white pine began turning yellow then brown. The needles at the top are brown and the yellowing is moving down the sapling. See the photos. The needed first start to turn yellow near their base which spreads to the rest of the needle. Any idea what our problem is? And what we can do? Thank you.
Houghton County Michigan
Expert Response
Although you will want to look carefully for evidence of insects or disease, this looks primarily like transplant stress. A young tree has to be carefully managed from the time of digging up from the nursery through planting, to ensure that the roots never dry out, and that stress is as limited as possible. Can you provide some additional information of where you sourced this tree, how it was handled prior to planting, how it was planted, and how you have cared for it after planting? It is likely you will need to replace the tree.
