Evergreens provide valuable landscaping vitality as one of the few plants that retains color all year long. Additionally, Pines and Spruce trees provide privacy and sound dampening year round when planted as barrier landscaping. But these great features of the evergreen family aren’t nearly as nice when your valuable evergreens are brown and dropping needles.
It isn’t normal for Pine and Spruce trees to have brown needles, so if your trees are looking rough, it’s time to have a certified arborist take a look at them for you.
The two most common problems that evergreens have to contend with in the Midwest are Zimmerman Pine Moths and Diplodia Tip Blight. Both of these problems tend to attack similar trees including: Austrian pine, Scotch pine, Mugho pine, Red Pine, Douglas fir and more.
In the early stages of a Zimmerman Pine moth attack the new tree growth begins wilting and browning. Eventually these infested branches will curve downward until they look like almost like a fish-hook. If not treated properly, entire tree branches and even the tree top will eventually turn brown and break off.
The Diplodia fungus starts by killing the needles at the tips of branches. Often this starts on the lower half of the tree and moves upward. As the new needles are expanding, they will become stunted, turn yellow and eventually brown. Often all of the trees current seasons needles are killed by the fungus. Resin droplets can sometimes be seen on dead shoots and during the summer and fall tiny, black fungal bodies which resemble black pepper will appear at the very base of the needle.
It’s nice to know what to look for if your trees are less than healthy. But really, it’s much easier to give Eden Tree Pros a call and have one of our certified arborists give your trees a thorough assessment and a FREE Estimate on what program will protect your investment and keep your trees looking beautiful year round. Call Eden Tree Pros today at 402-332-2839 or contact us for a free estimate.