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| Dry dead needles on windy side of trees |
We had a dry and windy winter this year (thanks to La Niña).
Pine trees are really beginning to show the effects of their winter
struggles, evident in the dead and dying
needles in patches and clumps on the outer edges of the trees. The effect is especially pronounced on the
windy and south sides of the trees. It
may look alarming, but it doesn’t mean the tree is dying, and it isn’t a sign
of pine beetle. (With pine beetle, the
entire tree would turn yellow to brown, not just the exterior needles). This
happens because transpiration from needles or leaves occurs when winter days
are warm and dry. Small "hair roots" may die in dry soils leaving
roots unable to replace lost leaf moisture, and this results in needle
death. Once the needles fall off, the
trees will look much better. For more
information, please go to: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/2129.html
