Pines are dying

[eugenet]

Hello,

I bought a house that has 20 white pines planted in the backyard to provide a privacy shield for the neighbors. The problem is that pines are dying one by one -- the needles become yellow and then the whole pine dries up.

I talked to some people and they told me that this is because there is too much water in the back of my yard. I tried to fix the water problem, but the pines keep dying. So, I was wondering if you could help me with some of the questions I have:

1. Is that a fact that pines don't like water? Could that be the reverse -- there is not enough water or yellow needles is a clear indication of a water problem?

1. Assuming there is too much water, is there a water resistant evergreen that I can plant instead of white pines? Are all pines the same, or some of them are more resilient to water problem?

2. I was wondering about Green Giants -- are they more resilient than pines?

Thank you very much for your help!!!

Evgueni

[Phisherman]

I have several different pine trees in my yard. In one area there's a high water table and that doesn't seem to hurt them.

It is better to plant different kinds of plants. There has been a pine beetle issue in the past.

The best pines are those that are native to your area. If you can dig some up on the edge of a wooded area that would work well.

[eugenet]

Thank you for your reply!

I am a total novice to the subject. Is there any soil test or some other test I can do in order to determine why the trees are dying? Or, is inviting a specialist my only chance to solve this problem?

Thanks.

Evgueni

[Phisherman]

A tree specialist can help, although "house calls" can be expensive. You can take a sample to your co-operative extension service and they may be able to help you.

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Well, some more info might help suggest the correct approach,; how old are the pines? recently planted ot long established? Has there been a recent , drastic change in e drainage/water conditions near the pines? Are there other pines, plants/trees in the area that are suffering? has there been any landscaping, soil treatments, chemical use or other work near/under the pines?

Pond Cypress and Bald Cypress can tolerate a wide variety of moisture conditions, though they are conifers, Bald Cypress will lose their 'leaves' in winter.

If you consider the replacement cost of even a single large tree, hiring an arborist to help save several is cheap insurance.

Carl

[chaz]

Plant a weeping willow, they are known for solving watery-yard issues.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

[sherwindu]

If that part of your backyard is low or the soil has poor drainage, you might consider leveling it off. Another possibility is to actually do a type of raised bed using mulch and soil. This may give you the drainage the pines require. No evergreen I know of is happy sitting in saturated soil all the time. As mentioned already, getting some advise from an arborist or an extension service would be helpful. I would also examine the trees for any sign of insects, blistering, or any other type of attack.

Sherw> Hello,

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Do a Google search using the name of your state along with the words "cooperative extension". You'll get a bunch of results. These are services run by universities within each state which have agricultural departments, and as far as I know, they all offer assistance to homeowners as well as farmers. Here in NY, advice is free and soil tests are $1.00 each. However, soil tests (for pH and nutrients) usually begin by drying the soil samples completely, so they're not going to be able to tell you if the area's too dry or wet for your particular trees. So, begin with a discussion and some advice.

[J.C.]

Could be "Pine Bark Beetles"

[David E. Ross]

These beetles are killing long-established trees all over southern California. In local national forests, the dead trees contributed to the very severe wild fires we had just a few years ago.

[eugenet]

Thank you very much for all your replies.

The pines are young 1 to 3 years. In the beginning of June I installed a sprinkler system because a new sod was installed. I watered three times a day for a month, and I noticed that some of the niddles started to turn yellow. I then minimized the sprinklers in the backyard (where the pines are) to twice a week. A month has passed since then and just now some pines turned completelly dry. I must also mention that I am in St Louis, Missouri and we did have very hot two past weeks. So, I am still not sure -- is it water related, and if it's -- too much or too little?

Here is a URL to some pictures of the pines:

Thanks a lot for your help!

Evgueni

[J.C.]

The best way to think about whether a tree is getting too much or too little water is to ask yourself, "who waters the trees in a forest, and how often do they do it".

[John Savage]

Any likelihood that the neighbours are poisoning the trees, since they block their view?