Mugo Pine looks like it’s drying out - Ask Extension
Planted several mugo pines in September 2023. 3/5 have similar issues to this; they look like they are drying up. They are located on the south facing...
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Mugo Pine looks like it’s drying out #877717
Asked July 17, 2024, 9:33 PM EDT
Planted several mugo pines in September 2023. 3/5 have similar issues to this; they look like they are drying up. They are located on the south facing and west side of house, have several inches of mulch around them. The soil under mulch is typically wet when I check it. We watered it frequently after planting but haven’t much this year.
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for your question and pictures. There are several diseases that affect mugho pines, including dithistroma needle blight, which looks like what's affecting your pines. Here's information from Extension about needle blight:
Dothistroma needle blight | UMN Extension
I can't see your needles up close but look at the article pictures to see if you can see any spots on the needles. Keep the mulch around your pines, but water so the needles don't get wet. All new shrubs and trees need an inch of water per week for the first three years. Prune off the dead needles and you might want to use a copper fungicide.
