White Pine Heat Damage

[Sunwyrm]

Beginner, but thought I'd post here to see if I can get some first aid advice specifically for my Horsford White Pine.

My already stressed and sorry looking white pine took a dive with the heat wave we just went through (about a week of 100+ temps). I had it in the shade with the rest of my trees and checked water twice a day, but this one is not looking so hot.

Anything I should be or even can do for it? Or is it quite literal toast?

It wasn't that great before either, but at least it had a little more green...

 

[Dav4]

Sorry, but when all the shoots are dead and crispy brown, the tree is done. Fwiw, as you've pointed out, the tree was in very poor shape prior to the heat wave. I'd look to the roots for the primary cause of death.

 

[rockm]

That's not heat damage. That's heat kill. Looks like it dried out. Last week's heat was combined with a steady hot breeze that sometimes turned into a wind. That can dry trees out very quickly, especially if they're root bound like this one looks to have been.

 

[Sunwyrm]

Thanks for the replies!

Is there anything I could have done better? Or what should I look at as far as root care in such heat? Anything to look at as far as determining root health? (complete noob, sorry for all the questions!)

I will say that it did the same thing last summer (I assumed it was dead and didn't put it in the ground all winter, and was too lazy to throw it away) and came back this spring looking like the last pic with all those new shoots. But it might be done for this time.

 

[rockm]

It ain't coming back this time. The wrinkles on all the branches show that it is completely dried out and dead. No more sap is going to run through those veins.

Can't tell you what went wrong without details, like soil, local conditions, how you cared for it, etc. and only then it would be an educated guess.

 

[Sunwyrm]

TBH I only started "caring" for it a little before our heat spell... By that I put a chopstick in it, then I sprinkled some osmocote on it and was just going to leave it be since I missed repotting time this last spring. Soil was just regular potting soil probably.

Noob-noob, very noob.

 

[rockm]

TBH I only started "caring" for it a little before our heat spell... By that I put a chopstick in it, then I sprinkled some osmocote on it and was just going to leave it be since I missed repotting time this last spring. Soil was just regular potting soil probably.

Noob-noob, very noob.

Where'd you get it?

 

[Cypress187]

TBH

Naa, it's ok, I'm way worse then u and I'm like 2 years in it and still killing them (mostly conifers).

 

[Sunwyrm]

I keep hearing, "you'll kill so many trees" so I'm not too bummed... Still.

Where'd you get it?

Merrifield in Manassas, around this same time. It was in their sale section, but it didn't look too bad when I bought it (to me anyway), maybe just a little thinner than the other Horsfords. It did this shortly after, so I stuck it next to my shed all winter, but then it came back to what little extent it did, so I left it to recover and didn't want to risk messing with it til it was warmer. And well here we are.

 

[rockm]

Sale section at Merrifields is a great place to look for stock. However, it is there for a reason. With conifers, that reason may be too far along to stop or have much hope. This tree looks like its had root issues for some time and has been in steady decline--conifers show stress very late--which means by the time real alarming damage shows up, its too late to do much about it.

The best stuff to look for in those sale areas are maples and other deciduous stuff. They're there primarily because of sun damage, burned, crispy leaves. Those come back and the trees aren't in much danger. "Civilians" shopping for landscape trees think sun-scalded, crispy leaves dropping off a maple are signs it is dead. They're mostly not.

 

[Sunwyrm]

Very good to know, thanks!

 

[Dav4]

I keep hearing, "you'll kill so many trees" so I'm not too bummed... Still.



Merrifield in Manassas, around this same time. It was in their sale section, but it didn't look too bad when I bought it (to me anyway), maybe just a little thinner than the other Horsfords. It did this shortly after, so I stuck it next to my shed all winter, but then it came back to what little extent it did, so I left it to recover and didn't want to risk messing with it til it was warmer. And well here we are.

Moral of the story...if a tree isn't healthy or is obviously declining in health, don't put off figuring out why and trying to fix it as it's unlikely to get better without help...and that goes doubly for pines, who really need good soil. If you had addressed the roots this past spring, your tree might still be alive.

 

[LanceMac10]

New "bunny pot"......well done, @Dav4 .......sad, though.....

 

[Paradox]

Ill be honest, I didnt think it was going to make it when I saw the pic from earlier this year.

Chalk it up to a learning experience and do better next time.

 

[Sunwyrm]

It got better!

 

[jcrossett]

Naa, it's ok, I'm way worse then u and I'm like 2 years in it and still killing them (mostly conifers).

Lol same here but for me it's maples. I can't find a happy shaded area lol.

 

[plant_dr]

It got better?

 

[YukiShiro]

:0 :0 !!!!!!

that looks dead as a doornail and you got it to pull through,

i take my hat off to you sir!!!

 

[LanceMac10]

Care to share a photo?

 

[YukiShiro]

View attachment 112768

Care to share a photo?

ROTFLMFAO!!!