Pine tree problem

[Serenity]

I just noticed today that some of the pine trees in my yard have needles that are starting to turn brown and dry up. It just seems to be odd branches here and there. The trees are about five feet high and bushy. I'm not sure how old they are but they looked healthy enough up until now.

Having no experience of growing these trees before, I don't know what it is that's caused it nor what to do, if anything. Any suggestions as to what it could be and how to resolve it please?

[SageMother]

Try calling your local "tree dude" or talking to a local garden center. Brown needles can indicate branches that have been chewed by animals, like squirrels, or a blight, like Pine Beetle.

It could just be the tree needs more water or fertilizer as well!

[Serenity]

Try calling your local "tree dude" or talking to a local garden center. Brown needles can indicate branches that have been chewed by animals, like squirrels, or a blight, like Pine Beetle.

It could just be the tree needs more water or fertilizer as well!

Thanks for the help, SageMother. I took another wander around to look at them and it seems to be the higher branches it's affecting. We have loads of critters around here including squirrels, so it may well be them. I'll read up on the blight too.

We get plenty of rain, but I'll bet they've not been fertilized for years though. The people that lived here before used it as a summer home and were elderly.

[tater03]

We had a pine tree that was brown at the top. It was this way for years. We just recently cut it down. It never got any worse just some brown branches at the top.

[SageMother]

We had a pine tree that was brown at the top. It was this way for years. We just recently cut it down. It never got any worse just some brown branches at the top.

Maybe taking a little off the top would do the trick. It might be that those top branches are just really old!

[gnandita1]

I have planted a pine tree two days before but the leaves began to shrink .Can anybody give me any suggestion for it.

[tater03]

I just always assumed that they turned brown because they were closer to the sun and in the direct sunlight.

[Pandion_Haliaetus]

I have planted a pine tree two days before but the leaves began to shrink .Can anybody give me any suggestion for it.

When you planted it, you should have dug a hole twice as big as the root ball. When planting I use compost all around the root ball and only slightly compact the soil (by hand). This gives the roots room to grow. Cover soil with 1-2" of mulch to keep roots cool during hot days. I would water throughly once every 3-4 days. No need to fertilize since only water is taken up the first year by the new growth.

Hope this helps.

ben

[j.mae90]

I just noticed today that some of the pine trees in my yard have needles that are starting to turn brown and dry up. It just seems to be odd branches here and there. The trees are about five feet high and bushy. I'm not sure how old they are but they looked healthy enough up until now.

Having no experience of growing these trees before, I don't know what it is that's caused it nor what to do, if anything. Any suggestions as to what it could be and how to resolve it please?

A few things...
What zone do you live in & what kind of pine tree is it?

Evergreens do occasionally have needles that brown/yellow up & fall off. Evergreen trees shed their older needles & produce new ones. I'm wondering what zone you live in since in my zone there is a HUGE outbreak of bagworm which almost appear like little pine cones hanging from the tree but are actually worms in a little cocoon type thing feeding off the tree then "hatch" in the spring & kill your evergreen. They're pretty partial to Spruce trees but I've been seeing them around randomly on Concolor Firs & a few others.

[Chris]

actual "pine" trees lose up to 20% of their needles annually. Which is why there is always a bed of needles beneat them.

If you're referring to a spruce etc as a pine (like so many do) that would be a different story.