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Show Evergreens shed needles seasonally By BRENT GLEDHILL The past few weeks have brought calls from concerned homeowners about the brown needles on their pine trees and arbor vitae. Contrary to popular belief, evergreen foliage does not remain attached indefinitely. in-definitely. Older, inner needles discolor and drop off after one to several years, depending on the species involved. fin late summer and throughout the fall, many homeowners observe a discoloration of the leaves or needles on their evergreens and (ear that some insect or disease has affected the plants. You should not tie alarmed since this is a natural condition. Evergreen shrubs and trees remain green throughout the - year because they do not lose all of , their foliage at one time. Usually f needle drop goes unnoticed because ew needles conceal the old, inside foliage that has turned yellow and brown. Most evergreens drop their needles in the fall, but some " tvergreens shed their needles in the spring or early summer. Each species of evergreen is different. Evergreens that normally shed one-year-old leaves or needles are ar- i torvitae and white pine. White Pines are the most dramatically affected. This species commonly tears three years' needles in the r summer and two in the winter. , In October or November of some I Wrs, this species may have only year's needles still attached. Matured white pine needles turn yellow throughout the tree. The tree appear unhealthy when the yellowed needles outnumber the SWn ones of the current season. Austrian and Scotch pine usually retain their needles for three years, we and fir trees retain their needles for several years. Needle S may not be visible unless one 'ks for it on the inner branches. ew needles turn yellow and drop in a'e spring or early summer of their third year. Sometimes the drop occurs ow'y, but on other occasions, Ja"y needles discolor ultaneously. Two things that can ause numerous needles to drop all are drought and lack of n'ion. if evergreens are not '1(ied sufficient water during the 2!,, ,part of the summer, leaf or W "eedle drop may be earleir and "ore severe than normal. A lack of iJ I?" often means snort vear,y Beell 3nd Premature leaf or drop. Yearly applications of Phorus, nitrogen and iron are , jj nllal to maintain healthy and pus growing shrubs and trees. jj"1 confuse natural seasonal insert everreens witn various k J" d'sease problems that can fgl vah, the vitality and aesthetic K of shrubs and trees. Normal (Urre droP is a seasonal oc-1 oc-1 fetKK06' and tne symptoms are i ' uted generally throughout the 1 have r Prtion of the Plant If you 0ia dubts about accurate 1 m 'S' examine the leaves and I ?ello ; careful'y- Needles that L navand normally from age y k!e'j ave occasional spots and V Si 01d needles sometimes inVaS)mouled brown coloration from tingj10n Dv nondisease-causing |
