Smart guys and gals

Maybe this

https://www.sharonherald.com/news/l...cle_68222d06-6b04-11e5-a9fd-8759c9e4b19a.html

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, EASTERN OHIO – Area blue spruce trees are singing the blues – in terms of health and desirability.

A blight is hitting the trees in the region that is slowly killing them off. The blight, caused by fungus-like spores, hits the needles of the tree, which literally makes them starve to death, said Scott Sjolander, a Penn State Extension office urban forester who covers northwestern Pennsylvania.

The spores, blown by the wind, settle on the tips of the needles where the tree’s buds form. At first the spores do little or no harm.

“But it starts killing the buds in the second year and the needles start to die,’’ Sjolander said. “When that happens, chlorophyllcation ceases – which is the food-making function of the tree. When it doesn’t make food, the needle goes pale, then dries up and turns brown.’’

You mean needles.,..

You have spider mites. Best thing to is spray them all with malathion all of them. The ones that are really far along will need to be culled but the ones that aren't need to be sprayed in the early spring and again mid summer. Top to the bottom which in your case will entail a large high pressure sprayer.

My 250 gallon 3 point mounted field sprayer (7 roller pump) has a spray wand capable of about a 60 foot vertical reach, don't know if you can rent one, might have to call a professional in. If you can do it, wear a Tyvec suit and a respirator. The Malathion will destroy your lungs and can be aspirated through your skin. Not even sure if you can buy the strength you need without an applicators license in PA. Did my trees 3 years ago and my neighbors too. Killed them but lost about 10% of the trees anyway.

The mites attack the branches and cause the needles to turn brown and fall off. The beetles attack the main trunk and leaders. Malathion works on both btw.

Stuff stinks so be apprised of that too.


Like I said, may need an applicators license to buy in PA. You do here in Michigan. I have one.

You need the concentrate and dillute according to the bottle directions.

Always something. I made a concerted effort to save my ash trees and did for a long time, but finally the Emerald Ash borer won and I took them down this fall. All was not lost though, sold each tree for 80 bucks a piece to a guy who does firewood.

Out here it's bark beetles in the ponderosa pines. Normally, the trees smother the beetles with sap, but the drought has stressed the trees, so they can't produce enough sap. Last year was the worst in memory, with this coming year not looking much better. I only lost 5-6 small trees, (so far) but I've seen areas stripped bare. The only way to stop them is cut the tree down & burn it, but the USFS, in it's infinite wisdom, is not fighting them on public land, and letting nature take its course.

I have a giant pine tree next to my house that just died this past year. I have to go rent a man lift to get it down. I also am a bit spooked with heights, and Ill need to get up 60-80 feet to top it. Not looking forward to it. Its all loblolly and longleaf pine here. They grow to massive heights, have no branches except at the very top, and when they fall, its like a guillotine coming down - they will fall right though a house to the floor.

Skeets - kinda like tractors, it’s best to know what kind of trees they are.
Folks call a lot of trees pines, even though some are spruce, fir, etc.
Many evergreens naturally shed some needles every year and some will self-prune. Bark coming off is never good.
Sometimes trees are planted where they don’t belong, and they’ll die in time. I have some Red Pines like that.
Some trees have known problems. Blue spruce has been mentioned. Haven’t seen a good one in years.

I know pictures aren’t your thing, but one would be great.
Another is to get someone to ID them and let us know.

I’d be happy to help if I can....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RCW said:

I***8217;d be happy to help if I can....

Click to expand...

Hey, buddy - I gotta help you out even though I'm not very smart ...

If you're game, let's find out what kinda tree(s) you have!

Are all of them the same?

Are the leaves/needles single needles or are there multiples in a packet/group?

If multiple, how many in a packet/group?

If multiple, about how long are the needles/leaves? Doesn't need to be exact

If single, are the needles triangular or flat?

If single, about how long are they?

If single, are the needles stiff/prickly or pliable/soft to the touch?

Just a couple answers will get us pretty close.

This is what gets our pine trees here. Nematodes. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden...ems/diseases/nematodes/pinewood-nematode.aspx

Tornado said:

I have a giant pine tree next to my house that just died this past year. I have to go rent a man lift to get it down. I also am a bit spooked with heights, and Ill need to get up 60-80 feet to top it. Not looking forward to it. Its all loblolly and longleaf pine here. They grow to massive heights, have no branches except at the very top, and when they fall, its like a guillotine coming down - they will fall right though a house to the floor.

Click to expand...

Think I'd hire it out to an insured tree company. How I did my ash's. Tree company and Hi-Ranger. They brought them down, I cut and roasted the little stuff and sold the big stuff and the guy who bought it cut it up and hauled it away.

If you're okay with it, let's start with the pines first and maybe get to the others later:

Are these trees part of a "woods" or your lawn?

Do you think these pines were planted, or natural regeneration?

Do any of your pines have an orange-ish color on the trunk up 20 or 30 feet?

Is the main stem/trunk on your pine trees straight-up and true, or kinda "scraggly"? If that makes any sense....

I had to look up 3-Needle pines...there's a few - Pitch pine is one in the northeast with a shorter needle.

Now 2-needle, there's a few with short (2" - often twisted) needles that are prone to nematodes. Jack and Scots are 2 that some to mind - they both have twisted needles that are pretty stiff. Jack is local to you I think, Scots are from over the pond. Jack Pine is what used to make up the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. They really like periodic fires to help them regenerate.

Red Pines also have 2 needles; they're 6-8" or so and stiff and rough. They are also prone to nematode problems, I think.

Eastern White Pine has 5 needles, maybe 3-4" and the needles are thin and soft to the touch. Nice tree and quite hardy. They do have some insect problems.

Just a thought, Pines don't like shade. They need full sun, and don't tolerate shade at all. If they're being overgrown/shaded by other trees, they will decline quickly.

Another possibility - - Some pines are noted for deep "tap" roots - - think a carrot. Do best in sandy soil. Around here, a lot of Red Pine and other species, including Jack and Scots, were planted in clay soil. They'll do well for 60 years, then "hit the wall" and fall apart due to soil conditions. I sold 3,000 tons of a small Red Pine clear cut a few years ago. If it was sold 15 years ago, bet I'd have sold 4,500 tons...

Just guessing, but your Tamarack and Hemlock look good because they grew up there from seed. They're (almost) bulletproof when they grow up to maturity by themselves...

It's much less sustainable for the tree seedling when people decide "this is a good spot for this tree..."