We recently had our yard landscaped and had two Austrian Pines planted. They both stand about 6' feet tall and are about 5' in diameter. One of the two has started showing yellow to brown needles on the lower brances. The other seems to be healthy. The one that is not doing well was subject to a lot of wind after it was planted (about 2 months ago). I have since added anchors and straps to keep it upright. I am wondering if this tree has one of the common diseases that Austrian Pines are subject to. The Yellow / Browning of the Needles is only at the bottom of the tree. See the attached picture. Is there anything thing that I can do to treat it and save it? Also, the 2nd Austrian Pine is about 12' away from this one. Will this one catch what the other has if it is a disease. Please help. THANK YOU.
Whole top looks pale, as though it is on the way out. Wonder if it broke when flopping around. Conifers can be slow to show that they are in a terminal condition. The existing dead being confined to the bottom does seem to imply a pathogenic infestation. Can't tell from here but possibly it is instead a horrendous mite infestation. Draping fine webbing and numerous minute crawling specks would be visible upon close inspection if that were the case. The best way to find out if there is an infestation (blight or bugs) would probably be to show foliage samples to someone at the nearest Cooperative Extension Service office. Search the web for "illinois extension" and you should be able to get contact information.
The top looks pale because the photo was taken at night with a flash; a daytime pic with good natural light would help diagnosis. Also add close-up pics of a shoot from the base, and one from nearer the top.
MICHAEL...I apologize for not posting a reply sooner than this. I was on vacation last week and was not checking my e-mail. I have attached several pictures that I took this past Sunday. The infect austrian pine looks like the needles are not getting any water - even though I am watering it on a regular basis. The last picture is the sister tree to it. So far it looks okay, but I found one of the black rings on a needle. Please advise if there is anything that I can do to treat and save these trees. Steve Wise
Thanks for the extra pics. Sorry to say, the news isn't good - the tree looks to be dead, as the growth ceased in spring: the green leaves look dry, and the buds haven't expanded. I'd be looking to contact the supplier and ask if they will replace it under their guarantee. Difficult to judge the cause, but I doubt it is infectious; by far the most likely is too many roots being broken when it was dug at the nursery.
MICHAEL...If I could trouble you for more assistance. Could you advise if the 2nd Austrian Pine could catch this disease. It looks healthy but I mentioned that I found a black ring on one of its needles. Also, if we elect to pull this tree out, could we plant another Austrian Pine in its place or would it be suspect to catch the disease. Finally, can we still plant an Austrian Pine in early September in the midwest (Chicago area) before the winter comes? THANK YOU so much for your advice. These are / were beautiful trees and we hate to lose them.
Very unlikely to spread to the other one. And it should be OK to replant on the same spot. I'd have thought replanting would still be OK for another month or so (I'm guessing the ground won't freeze solid until late Nov or Dec?), but get local advice on that. Make sure the new plant is well watered, and spread its roots out into the native soil, so they're not all bunched up.
MICHAEL....Thank You so much for the advice. We will follow your instructions. As info, our Landscaper planted both Trees with their Roots in a ball (burlap cover). I was under the impression that this is typical and that the Roots would spread on their own. Take care and good luck.
Uggh! NO NO NO!!! Bad cheapskate landscaper! The burlap (and any wire basket holding it) must be removed before planting. Sometimes the burlap decays fast enough to let the roots get through, but quite often it doesn't. Another common problem there is that the soil texture inside and outside the ball is different, leading to water being transferred one way or the other, so the root ball either dries out or drowns, instead of having a happy equlibrium. That's why it is important to get the roots into the native soil. Maybe RonB will comment, he can explain this better than I can. At least now we have proof of why it died!
I too am inclined to think it is most likely that it did not survive being dug up. Not all field-grown stock survives being balled-in-burlap, which only gets a little more live roots than when bare-rooting. I've even unwrapped a spruce to find it "false balled" as a friend in the industry called the practice, there being an empty clay-like ball hanging around stubbed-off roots not reaching nearly to the edges of it at all. It grew anyway.
RON / MICHAEL....If I could trouble you both again. I am still worried about our reamining Austrian Pine. I have attached pictures of it. I am worried that it has one of the common diseases. I have attached the name below - Diplodia, the fungus that causes tip blight Please note the how the needles look on the 2nd attached picture. We are having another Nursery deliver a replacemetn AP to us. He maintained that the Burpap bag should remain in place. Also as info, when I dug up the dead AP - I found the wiring in place that was wrapped around the burlap bag. Needless to say, I think it is a combination of two things. Please let me know your thoughts. THANKS so much for your help. Steve Wise
