Recent pine tree browning - Ask Extension
Three pines in our back yard are showing significant browning of their needles. This seems to have happened in the last month. Is there anything I can...
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Recent pine tree browning #889170
Asked November 01, 2024, 12:47 PM EDT
Three pines in our back yard are showing significant browning of their needles. This seems to have happened in the last month. Is there anything I can do to save them?
Lorain County Ohio
Expert Response
Hello
Thank you for your question and especially your pictures!
Your pictures tell me that you do not have pines, but spruces. That makes a difference!
For your general information, I share this link to let you know that some evergreens, do normally have some brown needles and normal "drop."
https://ag.purdue.edu/department/btny/ppdl/potw-dept-folder/2022/normal-needle-drop.html
Your spruces, however, look unhealthy. Is it dought? Needlecast disease? Both?
If you really want to save those trees, I recommend getting an ISA certified arborist on site for a professional diagnostic visit. Yes, there will no doubt be a cost. But mature trees are valuable and a certified arborist can let you know if the trees can be saved and what that would take. The following link will help you find an arborist with the correct training in your area.
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist
Meanwhile, what you can do is make sure that your trees are well watered going into winter. Perhaps you are in an area where you have had enough rain, but most of Ohio has not. So if you are able, water those trees deeply. They need at least 1" of water per week until the ground freezes.
Again, an ISA certified arborist should be able to assess and advise on what can be done going forward.
Best wishes
Thank you for your question and especially your pictures!
Your pictures tell me that you do not have pines, but spruces. That makes a difference!
For your general information, I share this link to let you know that some evergreens, do normally have some brown needles and normal "drop."
https://ag.purdue.edu/department/btny/ppdl/potw-dept-folder/2022/normal-needle-drop.html
Your spruces, however, look unhealthy. Is it dought? Needlecast disease? Both?
If you really want to save those trees, I recommend getting an ISA certified arborist on site for a professional diagnostic visit. Yes, there will no doubt be a cost. But mature trees are valuable and a certified arborist can let you know if the trees can be saved and what that would take. The following link will help you find an arborist with the correct training in your area.
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist
Meanwhile, what you can do is make sure that your trees are well watered going into winter. Perhaps you are in an area where you have had enough rain, but most of Ohio has not. So if you are able, water those trees deeply. They need at least 1" of water per week until the ground freezes.
Again, an ISA certified arborist should be able to assess and advise on what can be done going forward.
Best wishes