Are you worried about your pine trees because they seem to be losing too many needles? If so, you are one among thousands of homeowners with the same concern. The good news is you don’t need to panic! And you don’t need to have your beloved pines chopped down and turned into firewood. Instead, it is helpful to understand common pine tree needle activity so that you can learn to differentiate between a problem and a natural occurrence. Continue reading to learn why your pine trees are losing needles, and what you can do to protect your trees.
Evergreen Trees
Although pine trees and other conifers are called evergreens, they do not necessarily remain green 100 percent of the time. You see, pine trees produce new needles in the spring, but not every spring. Generally, every two to four years a pine tree will begin new needle production. Old needles lose their efficiency in producing nutrients for the tree and get mostly shaded by newer growth, which makes them discolor and turn yellow or brown. So as the tree continues to grow over time, you will see new green needles at the tips of their branches, and older yellow-ish ones farther back into the crown.
Don’t rake! Old pine needles make a great mulch beneath pine trees!
Eventually, pine trees have to shed their old, inefficient needles, which is why they start to drop when a tree appears to be perfectly healthy otherwise. This is not harmful to pine trees at all, and is a normal part of nature. Since they have new growth coming in, shedding old needles every couple of years doesn’t hurt them. On the other hand, you should be concerned if your pine trees are losing needles at the tips of their branch where new growth comes in. This could be a sign that the tree is sick or under distress. Contact a local tree service company for professional diagnostics and treatment. They can also give you advice on how to protect and properly care for your trees.
Fishers Tree Service
Tree Care Fishers Indiana 317-537-9770