Just wanting to know if my austrian pine is dying. I planted 4 or 5 this past summer and we have had a really harsh winter with tons of snow high winds etc. One of my pines is not looking well. Just the very top/tip branch is turning yellow. Anyone know why? Is there anything that can be done? The others look normal. Thanks Wes
My pine is just a bit bigger size, and last summer its leader was broken off by accident, when the neighbors' giant poplar was being pruned. But its a very resilient plant -- it quickly sprouted a couple of competing new leaders. So one option for you might be to simply lop off the sick leader, and let a new one develop.
Break off one of the side buds at the top of the brown lead shoot. If it is dry and brown inside, then proceed as Jaro suggests; if it is still green inside, then the shoot is OK (i.e., only the needles killed) and it will grow from the buds in spring.