How do I care for my pine tree?

Hello Jan! I believe this is normal for any pine tree. I find that I have a lot of pine needles and branches to rake up in the spring after a winter of snow and ice. I don't think you can prevent it. Here's some info for you: https://www.gardenguides.com/97653-care-pine-trees.html

I'd call or visit your local nursery to get more information for your area

Hi Jan! I have listed some very helpful videos. I wish you the best!

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=How+do+I+help+prevent+or+stop+tuffs+from+my+pine+tree+to+stop+falling%3f&qpvt=How+do+I+help+prevent+or+stop+tuffs+from+my+pine+tree+to+stop+falling%3f&FORM=VDRE

https://www.gardenguides.com/98742-save-pine-trees-browning-falling-needles.html

It is normal for Pines to drop needles. It’s called needle cast. When the needles are deep inside the tree and do not gather light to produce needed food the tree will drop them. It is all part of the trees cycle of life.

Yep, not much you can do, this is how the pine tree replenishes it’s needles for next year, off with old and candling in the spring, that’s when the pollen happens. When you have pine trees that means your soil is acidic, great for growing rhododendrons & hostas.

But here is a tip on the pine needles that do drop...don't toss - rake them in a lovely circle around the trunk of the tree..do not touch the bark of the tree..this is what nature does..it lets the needles fall...they compose and give the soil the acidic nutrition it craves...if looking at pine needles give you a visuable pain..run some ground cover over them..any vine that really grows fast, looks quite lovely around the tree..just don't let it climb up the tree..keep training it to go in a circle on the ground only..if the vine you select has flowers, there it is, double beauty...also helps the tree conserve moisture...like that ??

I would cut those bottom branches off, water and let it grow. I have a friend that cut his branches off way over the height of his house and when the wind blows thru them it sounds peaceful! Didn’t hurt them at all! They’ve been that way for years and he has less pine needles.

You can also rake the needles to add to compost, especially if you have clay soil and need to acidify it a bit. I also cut some off enough of the lower branches on my tree in order to stand up and rake below them. It is almost 30 years old and doing well. It is a challenge to find something to grow well underneath it but oddly enough catnip does quite well. I also ringed mine with some old bricks (large circumference) and rake all the needles that fall outside of it completely which makes it look a bit neater.

YES......that's not normal the green tips should not be falling off only the older inner brown needles.....Where do you live? What kind of pine is it? I think it looks like some type of bugs chewing them off or maybe too much water(? they would turn brown before falling off) but here's some additional info. Pine trees shed their oldest needles in late summer and early fall. Typically, the needles on the tips of the branches are the youngest, meaning they remain green while the inner needles turn brown and fall. However, if you notice excessive needle drop -- particularly along the ends of the branches, where needles should be young and healthy -- something is wrong. Possible causes are drought stress, waterlogged soil, nitrogen deficiency, insect infestations, air pollution or disease. Diagnosing the exact sickness or problem can help you adjust the environment to suit your pine trees' needs.The smartest way to prevent disease is to provide pine trees with proper care. They prefer rich, well-drained soil and a sunny location. Mulch can help keep the soil moist to reduce water stress, with the added benefit of preventing weeds from growing that would otherwise steal nutrients from pines. Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer when possible, especially with young trees that are sensitive to large doses of quick-release fertilizers. Measure the trunk's diameter, and for every inch apply 2 pounds of a 10-10-10 fertilizer; alternatively, apply 2 to 4 pounds per 100 square feet of soil area. Here's some info. from forest service others having same issues. Nothing I found seems to be able to explain it seems like no one is sure. Sorry could not help more Dear Gerry--it started dropping tips inNovember and by December it had dropped over two hundred 3 to 6 inch tips.The tip dropping continues and there have probably been 50 more tips.None of the "tree info" pages, mostly associated with agricultural schools,had anything useful.

My concern is that the tree will die. Do you have any data on tree recovery in these cases? Is there a world expert on Norway Spruce? Thanks again for your webpage - it was really the only thing out there on this --Bill Dear Bill,

As yet I do not have a good explanation of the dropping of new growth from Norway Spruce although Istrongly suspect the influence of acid deposition and air pollution on nutrient uptake.

The damage was probably not caused by squirrels for several reasons: (1) It happened too rapidly (2) There was not a single chew mark found (3) All the new growth detached precisely at the node where the most recent year'sgrowth began. I have heard that similar loss of growing tips has been observed in theBlack Forest of Germany. Best regards,

Gerry Hawkes

Consulting Forester

Woodstock, VT