# Dozens of pine trees DEAD or DYING... what to do?!??



## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

So about 2 years ago we had a couple Scotch pines begin to die off around the yard. Started to turn yellow randomly throughout the year, turning full yellow, then finally brown, losing all needles, and then dead. Figured it was due to disturbed soil from building our house. Cut them down and didn't really sweat it.

But then some started to die on part of the property that never saw any construction. And not only that some of the neighbors pines have done the same thing. 

Now it seems like all the pine on our property are inevitably going to die. It wouldn't be a big deal if it was just one or two... but DOZENS - from saplings to mature trees - appear to be all suffering the same fate! Not only are they UGLY but they are a MAJOR PIA to cut down and clean up! Oh and I also get to deal with stumps! Great! ;( 

Anyone know what the heck this is? Some sort of fungal blight? Needlecast? Pest? I think i'm going to call the MSU agricultural extension to see if someone will come out and look at them.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)




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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Pine wilt from sawyer beetles and nematodes???? - https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/loss_...wilt and death of,such as Scotch and Austrian.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

I am assuming you are spraying for the green worms that form in bunches starting the 3rd week of May. Scotch are a PITA that I wish I never got into. Of course 25 years ago there was no internet. I have a few White Pines that randomly die every year for no reason. That is the advantage of having thousands, IDNGAS.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Chessieman said:


> I am assuming you are spraying for the green worms that form in bunches starting the 3rd week of May. Scotch are a PITA that I wish I never got into. Of course 25 years ago there was no internet. I have a few White Pines that randomly die every year for no reason. That is the advantage of having thousands, IDNGAS.


I am not spraying anything - at least haven't sprayed any trees to date. These are pine that were all present on the property prior to us building our home.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

We have been losing white pines in our area for a few years. Even 2 of the Blue spruces have started to lose 1/2 of their needles too. I figured it was due to the wet conditions....combined with the clay soil we are on here. We don't spray for anything, and we only have 1 farm field about 1/2 mile away. 

But I don't discount the chance of it being jet engine fuel being dumped in the air, as we are 15 miles from O'Hare. 

When we lived in Bay City, the yellow delicious apples showed "rusting" every fall due to the jet fuel that gets dumped out of Tri-City Airport. At least that is what we were told.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_a...commonly affected,or kill Austrian pine trees.

L & O


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Liver and Onions said:


> https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_a...commonly affected,or kill Austrian pine trees.
> 
> L & O


Already read that one. Doesn’t look like any of the diseases described in the article. 


Sent from d_mobile


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

d_rek said:


> So about 2 years ago we had a couple Scotch pines begin to die off around the yard. Started to turn yellow randomly throughout the year, turning full yellow, then finally brown, losing all needles, and then dead. Figured it was due to disturbed soil from building our house. Cut them down and didn't really sweat it.
> 
> But then some started to die on part of the property that never saw any construction. And not only that some of the neighbors pines have done the same thing.
> 
> ...


It kind of looks like more than one thing going on there. I would hang my hat on your Pine Wilt Nematode guess on the ones that turn straw brown and die quickly. When you cut them down you will probably see a blue stain in the wood. The others show mostly dead interior needles. Some, like the ones with yellow interior needles, look like normal interior needle drop. The others with the brownish yellow interior needles, like the close up in your hand, look like a disease possibly Lophodermium?
I am curious about your water table. I see the Phragmites near the swing set and another tree there that possibly has early fall color or has died? Is the table changing?
I was through Algonac a couple times this weekend and was blown away by all the dead and dying trees in everyones yards on both sides of 29.


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## Dish7 (Apr 2, 2017)

d_rek said:


> I think i'm going to call the MSU agricultural extension to see if someone will come out and look at them.


They will have you send a sample in. Go to your nearest MSU Extension office and pick up a sample pack, cut a few small boughs and send them in. Been there, with my blue spruce.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

Man - that sucks D_rek! Definitely some serious issue going on there. Hope you can find a treatment before they are all gone.

My pines are going through their normal Fall Needle Drop right now and sure have a distinct yellow look to them, but this is a natural occurring needle drop - the trees are still healthy.

Natural Needle Drop | Backyard Farmer | Nebraskabyf.unl.edu › natural-needle-drop


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

My scotch pines are doing the same thing. We took down 8 of them this summer because they were next to the road. It looks like all of the older ones are about done for.


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## stickman1978 (Sep 15, 2011)

Just drove down 46 west of Alma. Saw a yard with about 15 dead Scotch, totally brown, all in a row. The next 20 or so trees all in a row yellowed up. Might be next to go.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

This is the issue in my yard. They take out a white pine or three every year. Look for bore tunnels in the trunk or strip some back and look for their tracks. I transplanted about 300 from our up north property about 18 years ago and just put them in as a screen (house was built on treeless former farm land). Since, I have put in maples and oaks behind them...so I don't really care if they slowly die off. I guess you can spray, but not worth it to me.


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## onenationhere (Dec 18, 2008)

pine tree




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onenationhere


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Jul 14, 2011







Years ago we had a pine abruptly turn brown and die, my neighbor had one as well. We were botusing the same lawn care company spray fertilizing our lawn. I believe they killed our trees with whatever they were using. we couldn't prove it but to much of a coincidence that both of our mature pines died at the same time.
Are you using a company to treat your lawn ?


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

onenationhere said:


> pine tree
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Kinda hard to tell but that looks like a white pine. I believe his are scotch pine.
You may have been a victim of the imprellis debacle that was going on in this area some years ago. I don't suppose you have the info on what and when they sprayed. It may be too late to pursue the legal options...call Sam!
https://www.tsrinjurylaw.com/blog/dupont-imprelis-herbacide-lawsuit/


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## U.P.Grouse Chaser (Dec 27, 2018)

I have taken out 3 red pine 2 white pine 1 jack pine and 2 spruce out of my yard.
The largest was a white pine that was 14 inches at the stump. 
What works for me is I've been digging around the tree and chopping the roots . Then hooking a tow strap to the tree approximatley 8 to 10 ft up . Then pulling the whole works over and out with the pick up truck. Cutting up the tree once it's on the ground . Attached are pic's of the last tree we took out about a week ago


















.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

U.P.Grouse Chaser said:


> I have taken out 3 red pine 2 white pine 1 jack pine and 2 spruce out of my yard.
> The largest was a white pine that was 14 inches at the stump.
> What works for me is I've been digging around the tree and chopping the roots . Then hooking a tow strap to the tree approximatley 8 to 10 ft up . Then pulling the whole works over and out with the pick up truck. Cutting up the tree once it's on the ground . Attached are pic's of the last tree we took out about a week ago
> View attachment 582719
> ...


Chopping off pine tree roots is unlike any other. I usually end up with 1 hour for a maple tree or buckthorn. I end up with 2.5-3.0 hours on a white pine tree. 

But I usually cut the tree down and leave a 2-3' stump first. Then get to chopping. 

Of course renting a stump grinder from Home Depot takes care of the stump in less than 10 minutes each.


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## U.P.Grouse Chaser (Dec 27, 2018)

CrawlerHarness said:


> Chopping off pine tree roots is unlike any other. I usually end up with 1 hour for a maple tree or buckthorn. I end up with 2.5-3.0 hours on a white pine tree.
> 
> But I usually cut the tree down and leave a 2-3' stump first. Then get to chopping.
> 
> Of course renting a stump grinder from Home Depot takes care of the stump in less than 10 minutes each.


I never tried leaving a 3 ft stump and pulling it out like that. I was thinking by leaving them whole and hooking 8 ft up you have more leverage. Once the tree starts downward you have the weight of the tree helping you as well. When the wife wants another tree removed i'll give it a try.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

I will probably have the neighbor bring his backhoe over to tear out the stumps and burn them up. There is a cluster probably 40x40ft that I want to remove everything and it will be the location for an eventual pole barn. 


Sent from d_mobile


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