Pine tree under duress - Ask Extension
Several dead branches and brown needles on 50 foot pine tree. What kind of pine is it and can you recommend a treatment from the pictures attached?
T...
Knowledgebase
Pine tree under duress #874599
Asked June 25, 2024, 10:36 AM EDT
Several dead branches and brown needles on 50 foot pine tree. What kind of pine is it and can you recommend a treatment from the pictures attached?
Thank you!
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello there and thank you for using Ask Extension.
Your tree is either a Austrian pine or Ponderosa pine. The Ponderosa pine is native to Colorado. The Austrian is not. The Austrian is susceptible to more problems than the Ponderosa, so it is important to be able to distinguish which one it is.
For a better diagnosis, I will need some additional photos and some more information. Please send me photos of the entire tree as it sits in the landscape. I'll need to see it from different angles in order to see if there's any pattern to the dead branches and needles. If there are any pine cones on the ground, send me a close up photo. That's one way of identifying the tree.
Here's the additional information I'll need.
1. How old do you think the tree is?
2. How is the tree watered?
3. Any chemicals (ie pesticides, fertilizer, etc) used in the vicinity of the tree?
4. Any changes (digging, different watering) in the vicinity of the tree?
5. When did you first notice the problem?
6. Any pitch/sap coming out of the trunk or branches that you can see?
Sorry to ask so many questions. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Your tree is either a Austrian pine or Ponderosa pine. The Ponderosa pine is native to Colorado. The Austrian is not. The Austrian is susceptible to more problems than the Ponderosa, so it is important to be able to distinguish which one it is.
For a better diagnosis, I will need some additional photos and some more information. Please send me photos of the entire tree as it sits in the landscape. I'll need to see it from different angles in order to see if there's any pattern to the dead branches and needles. If there are any pine cones on the ground, send me a close up photo. That's one way of identifying the tree.
Here's the additional information I'll need.
1. How old do you think the tree is?
2. How is the tree watered?
3. Any chemicals (ie pesticides, fertilizer, etc) used in the vicinity of the tree?
4. Any changes (digging, different watering) in the vicinity of the tree?
5. When did you first notice the problem?
6. Any pitch/sap coming out of the trunk or branches that you can see?
Sorry to ask so many questions. I look forward to hearing back from you.