Umbrella Pine Turning Brown
I’ve had an Umbrella Pine on my property since I moved in 9 years ago. About six years ago I moved it to a location where it would have more room to grow and it flourished there until last year, when suddenly some of the branches started dying. The problem has only gotten worse over the past few months. Everything I’ve read on line says that umbrella pines aren’t susceptible to a lot of diseases and that brown needles are usually because of a lack of water, but I watered my garden over the summer and as you know we’ve had a lot of rain since the fall. Any idea why this might have suddenly happened and if there’s any way that I can fix it? I live in the Philadelphia area. Thank you!
Answer
I think you are probably correct that the problem is not a water issue, but Umbrella Pines (Sciadopitys verticillata) are sensitive to too much water as well as too little. They want well drained soil. Another reason that the problem does not seem to be water, is that the problem seems to be spotted throughout the tree. Look to see if there had been some minor damage to the branches during transplanting. Also while looking for damaged branchlets, look for any signs of disease or a pest. You might consider having a tree person look at the tree. It is a gorgeous specimen and worth having someone actually look at the affected branches.