Recently I’ve received a lot of phone calls from property owners concerned about their browning pine needles. Have no fear, your local Tahoe arborist is here. Several different species of evergreen will exhibit interior needle browning during the summer months. This is a naturally occurring process. As trees grow, energy is focused on outward growth and interior needles can brown and fall away if they are no longer actively photosynthesizing.
This activity, though not prevalent in all landscape evergreens, usually cycles through on a biennial basis. Keep in mind, this browning is not indicative of a distressed tree. There can be other biotic and abiotic disorders at work here, but that diagnosis should be left to a certified arborist to assess.
Over the years, I have seen many incorrect diagnosis’s coming from friends, neighbors, relatives, or otherwise unskilled practitioners. The most significant aspect of an ethical tree professional is understanding that correct recognition and proper treatment of trees and shrubs should be of utmost importance at all times.
Moral of the story is nature goes through her cycles and she has no concept of time. In the words of Pete Seeger, “to everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a season (turn, turn, turn), and a time to every purpose, under heaven”. Don’t panic when you see changes occurring in your landscape, make sure you are watering regularly and not overly applying pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Keep your soil happy and when in doubt, contact your local ISA certified arborist.
Yours for Greener Trees,
William Probst
Arbor Green Tree Care
Brown interior needles present on incense cedar in late summer
