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Why Are My Pine Tree Needles Turning Brown?

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The main pine tree in northwest Tennessee is Loblolly Pine. There are a few other pine species: Virginia, Shortleaf and White, but 95% of the pine are Loblolly. Loblolly Pine needles (like all pine) need sunlight. If sunlight is not available, the needles will not work and are not needed. The tree will eventually shed these needles. This shedding of needles is why pine are planted for erosion control. The needles develop a sort of carpet that helps reduce erosion in numerous ways. What I am saying (in possibly a roundabout way) is that shedding of needles is a natural process that happen every year.

This year has been a little different, in that it has been wet. As a matter of fact, the past couple years have been wet. This dampness has affected our Loblolly Pine with a thing called Needle Cast. Needle Cast is like normal tree shedding, except it is from a fungus. Trees with this fungus are kind of like normal shedding on steroids. There are many more browned up needles present. These affected needles will release spores that will infect young needles and show up on them the following spring.

Needle Cast in usually not serious and rarely does a tree die from it. Raking up and/or burning infected dropped needles should help reduce its spread.

If you have any questions, you can contact my office in Dresden at 364-3430 or your local TDF office (Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

Benton County – 731-441-8760
Carroll County – 731-412-4063
Weakley County – 731-514-8725