He althy pine trees delight with their lush green needles all year round. However, yellowing of the leaves causes concern and headaches for many gardeners. If the tree then loses the already discolored needles, many people fear that they will have to cut down their beloved tree. But serious illnesses are not always behind the symptoms. Find out more about yellow pine needles falling off here so you can quickly identify the cause and successfully nurse the conifer back to he alth.
Why does a pine tree get yellow needles that fall off?
Yellow needles falling off a pine tree can be caused by natural needle shedding, poor site conditions, disease, pest infestation or nutrient deficiency. To counteract this, it is important to provide sufficient water, compost, sunlight and, if necessary, appropriate treatment.
Causes of discoloration and loss of needles
Is your jaw sick or is there just a care error? Maybe the falling needles are old leaves and there is no reason to worry at all. Find out, these are the causes of yellow pine needles:
- the natural vintage change
- poor location conditions
- Disease or pest infestation
- inadequate nutrient supply
Natural needle shedding
Pine trees are evergreen, but they still lose their old needles. Some years this leaf change happens so inconspicuously that you don't even notice it. In other years, especially if the summer has been very dry, your pine tree will seem to shed tons of yellow needles. If only a few needles turn yellow and fall off, there is no need to worry. Just keep an eye on further developments.
Wrong location
Is your pine tree possibly growing in an inconvenient place? Does it not get enough light because other tall trees overshadow its crown? Or is it due to the soil conditions. Here could
- drought
- Waterlogging
- Incrustations
- or road s alts
which cause needle discoloration. A change of location also affects pines that are older than five years.
Diseases and pests
Discover signs of fungal infection like
- the pine chute
- or the death of instincts
or if you can locate small larvae of the frost moth, a butterfly, you should take the yellow, falling needles as a warning sign to act as quickly as possible before the disease spreads further.
Nutrient Deficiency
In the so-called calcium chlorosis, your jaw suffers from an iron deficiency. Either the soil is not nutrient-rich enough or the roots are injured. Over-fertilization is also harmful to the needles.
Tips for treatment
- regular watering
- Incorporate a layer of compost or mulch
- make sure there is enough sunlight
- if symptoms of disease occur, remove all affected branches
- Neem or rapeseed oil keeps the pine moth away
