The evergreen, bright needles are a feature of the sequoia tree and make it an attractive plant in parks or your own garden. But what if the needles suddenly turn brown? You can find out what could be behind it and how you can prevent browning here.
Why is my redwood tree turning brown and how can I prevent it?
If the needles of a sequoia tree turn brown, it may be caused by improper watering, drought, or pest infestation. Prevention can be achieved through sufficient watering, a shady location and the timely removal of infected shoots.
Natural brown coloring
If your sequoia tree has a reddish brown color in autumn, there is no reason to worry. Sequoiadendron giganteum is a deciduous plant. Before its needles fall to the ground, the green naturally turns into brown. However, you should be careful if your plant is a coast redwood. This species is evergreen. In this case, a brown coloring of the shoots is a clear sign of illness.
Possible causes
The possible causes of browning of the shoots include:
- incorrect irrigation
- drought
- Pest Infestation
Incorrect irrigation
Although you should keep the sequoia's soil moist at all times, if the water cannot drain away, your tree will suffer major damage due to waterlogging. This causes root rot.
drought
The sequoia tree needs a lot of water. In extreme heat, its trunk dries out. This makes it susceptible to fungi and pests.
Pest Infestation
Botryosphaeria shoot dieback is a common weakness parasite and poses a great danger to your sequoia tree. Dry summers and inadequate irrigation promote the infestation. You only recognize the actual trigger months later. However, brown shoots in the crown are the first sign. Later, visible holes form in the needles of the crown, and an unusually large amount of resin emerges from affected shoots. After a while, the brown color of the needles also transfers to the bark of the branches. The parasite uses wounded areas in the bark to get inside the tree.
Prevention
The following measures can help to prevent the triggers mentioned above from turning brown:
- For example, use drainage to ensure that the irrigation water can flow out of the pot
- choose a location where your sequoia tree is not exposed to the blazing sun
- water your sequoia daily. In summer, repeated watering is necessary
- pay attention to the first signs and remove conspicuous shoots immediately
