During the fall, it is common for deciduous trees to lose their foliage and enter into a dormancy stage for the season. But evergreen trees are supposed to evergreen; so why do some lose their needles this time of year? Well, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. If your Pine trees are losing their needles, continue reading to learn common causes and treatments for evergreen foliage loss.
Pine trees shed their needles every 2 to 4 years, making some needle loss normal in fall.
The Facts Surrounding Pine Needle Loss
When pine trees begin to lose their needles, there’s no need to panic. And there’s certainly no need to remove the tree (in most cases). You see, evergreen trees are implied to be evergreen always, however their Pine needles are not meant to stay green and last forever.
Think of it like this: the hair on your head is always there, but it’s not the same hair from when you were a child. The same idea applies to Pine trees and their needles.
For evergreen trees, new pine needles are produced every spring and summer. These needles typically last anywhere from 2 to 4 years, and sometimes longer, depending on the region. This means that as trees grow taller and larger every year, more and more new pine needles are growing as well. You will find older pine needles farther back in the crown, and newly-produced needles towards the tips and in the branches. This cycle of shedding old needles for the sake of new ones continues on and on, year after year.
So Why Do Pine Needles Die?
After some time, pine needles lose their efficiency. As they age, they are less efficient at producing food for the tree, so they are replaced by newer, more efficient ones. Also, new pine needles block sunlight from the older ones, which is another reason why pine needles lose their efficiency. If your pine trees are losing more than a third or fourth of their needles, it may be an indication of another problem. Otherwise, the needle loss is normal.
Get Reputable and Affordable Pine Tree Service in Fishers, Indiana
Call 317-537-9770 for professional pine tree service in Fishers, Indiana. We provide residential and commercial tree service, including tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing, underbrush removal, and much more. Call 317-537-9770 to request an estimate, today.