# help my pine trees! (pic)



## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

what is happening to one of my favorite trees in my yard? why is it loosing needles and thinning. Its about 25 ft tall if that helps.
heres a pic, anything i can do? This is also happening to a 60 ft blue spruce in my yard.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Trees get old just as us humans do. Those branches are old and loosing their needles. They do shed contrary to popular belief. I used to have a full head of hair once too!

My Dad had the same thing on his trees. Took a chainsaw and pruned about three feet up all the way around. Looks good and much easier to mow around now.


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## treeman (Mar 18, 2002)

Here are a couple of articles to look at:

http://news.msue.msu.edu/news/artic...re_associated_with_fungal_pathogens_and_are_p

http://www.news.msue.msu.edu/news/a...e_probably_caused_by_more_than_a_single_agent

http://news.msue.msu.edu/news/artic..._symptoms_of_both_needlecast_and_branch_death

Looking at the picture I would say the tree was planted about 5 or 6 years ago as a fairly large tree? Maybe spaded in? Incremental growth has been slowly increasing as the needles look of a more normal size closer to the branch tips. Not quite the growth you would expect to see on a well established spruce. Part of the reason it looks thin on the interior is that there has not been enough new growth each year to cover the yearly loss of the oldest needles in the fall and winter. Rhizosphaera, or stigmina would kill the needles behind the current year's growth. Dead and dying needles would have a purple color to them. This does not seem to be the case. I would recommend a good fertilization this fall. You should see a better growth response next year. The bigger tree most likely has other issues as described in the articles above.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Do you have a commercial lawn service fertilizing your grass?


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

No, nobody comes and fertilizes the lawn. Also the trees have been there over 20 years. The house was built in 1982. Not much i can do then? Also giving them fertilizer was mentioned, how do i fertilize such big trees and what is best to use?


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Heres my opinion.....When you plant a b&b evergreen, If you want it to continue to look like a christmas tree, you must continue to trim it every year or it will begin to return to its natural form.

You could start trimming it again, But it will never be what it was....too late.


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

i dont care the shape of it. I just like it green/or blueish instead of brown.


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## harpo1 (Dec 6, 2007)

varminthunter said:


> No, nobody comes and fertilizes the lawn. Also the trees have been there over 20 years. The house was built in 1982. Not much i can do then? Also giving them fertilizer was mentioned, how do i fertilize such big trees and what is best to use?


Take note of the crown on the tree. That is basically the diameter at the widest point of the tree. It is also referred to as the dripline of a tree. Imagine a circle on the ground the same size of the tree crown and that is about where you want to fertilize the tree. I use the spike-type fertilizer sticks and place about 4-8 of them around that circle based on the size of your tree.


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

harpo1 said:


> varminthunter said:
> 
> 
> > No, nobody comes and fertilizes the lawn. Also the trees have been there over 20 years. The house was built in 1982. Not much i can do then? Also giving them fertilizer was mentioned, how do i fertilize such big trees and what is best to use?
> ...


 ok thats sounds easy thanks


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## MOTOMAN91 (Oct 26, 2010)

It could also be in insect or borer problem. You might want to call a local tree service or someone that does pesticide/fertilizer treatments on trees/shrubs and have them give you a "free" estimate. They should be able to tell you what's wrong and how much it will cost to get the tree healthy again. All of the pine trees on our hunting property are dying from some type of pine borer problem, but these are a different type of pine than yours.


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## codybear (Jun 27, 2002)

They have a disesase!!!! I forgot the name of it but its going around Michigan right now and usually starts near the bottom of the pine and will work its way up over time.. You need to get them sprayed.. It will require 2 applications, the 2nd one being 30 days after the 1st application.. I had 20 10ft pine trees planted in my front yard years ago, which cost me a fortune and they all started to do that until we had them sprayed, then it stopped.. If you let it go, it will just spread to other pine trees nearby.. If you call a reputable tree planter, he can probably shed more light on whats going on and what its called..

CB


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

anyone in my area that sprays them? Is this a spray i can buy?


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## MOTOMAN91 (Oct 26, 2010)

Trugreen still sprays trees and shrubs i believe, or google tree service/pesticide applicators for your area and you should find something. The entire tree needs to be sprayed, nothing you can go and buy yourself without wasting your money. It takes a decent size spray gun to get to the top of the tree.


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