Christmas trees looking bad

[jjb4900]

a few years back, probably 10 or so, we planted a bunch of trees that would fall into the Christmas tree category....after the last two winters they look like hell and are all browned out and we even lost a few, but they are showing new buds/growth.....anyone know what causes this and is there any hope they will ever fully recover and fill out and look the way they once did?

[growalot]

I have noticed in my travels a lot of dead pine and we lost a wht pine in a matter of months..I thought wht pine blister then woodpeckers but now....I understand NYS pines are under attack by a pine beetle..I believe they have under estimated how far North they have traveled...

 

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/dec-southern-pine-beetle-infestation-full-blown-in-suffolk-long-island-1.9887980

 

[jjb4900]

they don't appear to be under attack from anything other than the rough winter.....the white pine I planted are doing great, but they are in an area that gets moisture year round...but then again I have no idea if the things you mentioned would be noticeable to the average person

[G-Man]

White pine are dying from disease. Mono culture plantings are at higher risk.

[Curmudgeon]

What species?

[jjb4900]

What species?

most are Doug Fir with a few Scotch Pine in the mix..........and like I mentioned earlier, the White Pine are doing great...no signs of distress or disease.

[Curmudgeon]

It sounds like needlecast disease. The scotch probably have Cyclaneusama Needlecast. The Dougs probably have Rhabdcline Needlecast

 

It is actually from last year's growing season being wet. You don't see the damage until the following spring. Mine look terrible. I've given up on Dougs completely  because I won't spray registered fungicides. Many of the scotch are so bad I culled them. I'm planning a burn on the next wet day.

 

Try a google image search for the diseases above.

 

A good reference is Christmas Tree Pest Manual USDA 1998.

[growalot]

A great Christmas tree IMO is the Concolor (wht. fir)...I haven't had any issues with them....