Pine Trees Turning Brown

Native to the northern hemisphere, pine trees are coniferous and evergreen trees, with a variety of species. There is a lot of debate about the number of pine tree species, however, they fall within the range of 100 to 125 species. They are also available in many subtropical countries and other temperate places in the southern hemisphere. These resinous trees grow within the range of 3 m to 80 m, with the average height being anywhere between 15 m to 45 m. Pine trees are long-lived, ranging from 100 to 1000 years or more. This is one of the reasons why they are a great choice for enhancing the landscaping value of a place, for many.

Though pine trees thrive well in any acidic soil, there are some pine tree species that grow well in calcareous soil as well. Good sandy soil with above average drainage is a well-suited combination for an average pine tree. Adaptation of soil and atmospheric conditions basically vary as per various species of that particular region. Pine tree diseases are also different according to the various regions, with the tree turning brown being one of the most common problem. This problem is sometimes observed with pine needles turning yellow first and then aggravating to brown color. This problem is not always a serious threat to the life of the tree. This is because the older needles are shed and replaced with the newer ones.

Causes of Pine Trees Turning Brown

There are a number of reasons for this occurrence. Many people ask a common question, "why are my pine trees turning yellow/brown?" Well, as we all know, pine trees are evergreen trees and any change in that natural hue is definitely a cause of concern, especially for amateur gardening enthusiasts; which sometimes can be unnecessary.

Routine Needle Shedding
Pine trees do tend to shed the leaves, especially during fall and/or spring. This is mostly the case with pine trees that have had a healthy growing period at the age of 3 and 4. The excessive brown needles are dropped by trees as a normal leave shedding process. These dropped brown needles are replaced by the normal and healthy leaves and hence there is nothing to worry about brown needles, in such a case. Another reason is the placement of the pine trees. If there is not enough space between two trees, which is very important for the trees for photosynthesis, then there are chances of the pine tree turning brown.

Pine Fungal Diseases
A very common as well as dangerous pine tree disease is the fungal root disease that attacks healthy pine trees. Ascospores and Conidospores are the most common types of fungi that affect the pine tree on a larger scale. While wind is responsible for spreading ascospores all across the tree, conidospores is a fungus that is present on trees as some gelatinous fluid. This fungus is spread through water, first to the root of the tree, and from there it spreads to the other pines. These fungi could be responsible for the brown color of the tree.

Beetles, Moths and Blights
These are other serious reasons too. Pine tip moths, hollow the twigs by consuming all the live wood inside. One can easily find out about such infestations by simply breaking the tip. Beetles are one such nuisance that attack the barks or trunk of the trees. These beetles along with the brown spot needle blight cause pine trees to turn brown. They cause browning and dropping of the needles, inhibition of growth and eventually, death of the tree. To stop further infestations to other trees, it is best to cut down the affected tree, in a timely manner.

Environmental stress, poor nutrition and the above mentioned diseases, especially the bark beetles actually kill the tree. Such dead tree remains green for a few days and even months before it starts sporting brown needles and eventually shedding them. In such cases, along with the tree turning brown, one can also observe gluey flow from the tree trunk, sawdust, too many shot holes in the tree trunk, etc. One thing to remember here is to check for the health of the older and already-stressed-out trees as they are easily affected by the bark beetles and other infectious diseases. There are fungicide treatments and several other treatments available for getting rid of the brown needles. The only thing one must always be watchful about is for any sudden change in the appearance of the tree and the area surrounding the trees.

Careful and timely intervention is necessary for the tree to live, for a significantly longer period. All the best!