white pines suddenly appear to be dying - Ask Extension
I have a row of white pines, 20 years old, my husband and I just noticed today that the first three suddenly look brown and are dropping needles rapid...
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white pines suddenly appear to be dying #869537
Asked May 21, 2024, 8:36 PM EDT
I have a row of white pines, 20 years old, my husband and I just noticed today that the first three suddenly look brown and are dropping needles rapidly. I examined the trees and it doesn't look like what pine blister rust to me. I see green spots on the trunks and limbs but thought it was just lichen. I wish I could save them but I doubt it is possible at this point.
Muskingum County Ohio
Expert Response
Hello
Thank you for your question and good photos of your white pines. While I cannot diagnose the exact cause of the decline you describe and see in the pics, my educated guess is a root problem. Central Ohio is not the best place for them to thrive.
The green splotches on the trunk are indeed lichen and are harmless to the tree.
I have noticed that most white pine, Austrian, and Scotts pines around here only live 20-25 years due to our alkaline, clay soils. The stress of these less than ideal growing conditions often brings on pest/disease problems and early demise.
Note that there are areas in Ohio that have more acidic soils and these pines do much better in those areas.
I am sharing a link from Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources that you may find interesting.
Paragraphs 4, 5, 6 talk about planting requirements;
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/needle-like-leaves/white-pine-pinus-strobus
You might consider juniper, arborvitae, yew and/or Norway spruce to fill in your windbreak. (There may be others, but these in my experience have longevity here in Central Ohio.
I hope you find this response helpful and again thank you for using the Ask Extension online service.
Thank you for your question and good photos of your white pines. While I cannot diagnose the exact cause of the decline you describe and see in the pics, my educated guess is a root problem. Central Ohio is not the best place for them to thrive.
The green splotches on the trunk are indeed lichen and are harmless to the tree.
I have noticed that most white pine, Austrian, and Scotts pines around here only live 20-25 years due to our alkaline, clay soils. The stress of these less than ideal growing conditions often brings on pest/disease problems and early demise.
Note that there are areas in Ohio that have more acidic soils and these pines do much better in those areas.
I am sharing a link from Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources that you may find interesting.
Paragraphs 4, 5, 6 talk about planting requirements;
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/needle-like-leaves/white-pine-pinus-strobus
You might consider juniper, arborvitae, yew and/or Norway spruce to fill in your windbreak. (There may be others, but these in my experience have longevity here in Central Ohio.
I hope you find this response helpful and again thank you for using the Ask Extension online service.
