We have several "pine" trees in our yard. They shed needles, brown ones, that get into everything: car trunks, hoods, roof gutters on the house, etc. Is it normal, or are these "evergreen" trees sick or malnourished? Be gentle. I am a transplant from west Texas where we call mesquite bushes trees. I would appreciate any help you can offer. Kent Mena, AR (southwestern AR)
Conifers shed oldest needles every year. Substantial litter of spent needles, old cones and dripping resin typical beneath pines (Pinus).
My neighbour has a big pine tree in the front yard. It always show a lot of brown leaves in October which get dumped on the lawn about the same time as the maple leaves (or a week or so later). She rakes it and spreads it around cedars and other evergreens which thrive on acidic soil such as azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries etc.
Thanks for the tip. It seems that most people here in Arkansas, called the Natural State, burn leaves, grass and anything else that falls off trees. So much for "greening."
Ottawa city (& many more cities and towns in Canada) have a very comprehensive city programme for curb collection of garden wasts such as leaves, hedge trimmings, tree prunings, spring and fall garden clean-ups etc etc. Is is biweekly collection by the city and becomes weekly for a month each year in mid-spring and mid-fall. The city takes it to a central composting dump for recycling. Of course this has been calculated into the city services tax. So again no free lunch.
I'm near your location and our pines are shedding right now as well. just that time of year. as long as there is no disease, they make great mulch around trees. we regularly rake them up and distribute back under the trees for mulch. good question, it does look odd as if there is something wrong with the trees.
Living here is quite change from the western part of Texas. There are cedar or juniper groves in the mountains (and yes, for those who haven't had the good fortune to travel through Alpine or Ft. Davis, there are mountains. Alpine is within feet of Denver, and parts of the village are higher than Denver; it is gorgeous country). I also lived in the Dallas area for years and it is heavily wooded, mostly with live oak and post oak. Living here among so many trees, not only those planted in yards for effect, is wonderful. I can look up from the horizon to the nearby mountains and even closer hills and see nothing but a green carpet of trees. Spreading the needle around the trunks would be beneficial? For insulation? Or for moisture? Would that idea be good for rose bushes, too? I really appreciate all the guidance I've received. Thanks again.
