Garden Q&A: Is my evergreen dying?

QUESTION: What can I do to save my evergreen trees? The needles are suddenly brown and dropping off. - R.T., Roscoe ANSWER: It is likely that no harm is being done to your trees by the loss of foliage at this point in the growing season. All trees and shrubs, including evergreen species, renew their foliage annually. I know you are not concerned when your maples, oaks and ashes all lose their leaves in the fall.

The same thing happens with evergreens. Evergreen foliage lives for several years and has a staggered cycle of regeneration.

Not all of the needles drop at the same time, but they will all eventually fall off.

What you are seeing now is commonly called "inner needle drop" or "third-year needle drop." In some species, especially pine and arborvitae, this fall browning is normal and takes place rather quickly. The older needles turn a bright gold-yellow and remain attached for about seven to 10 days depending on the weather.

During periods of strong winds and/or heavy rain the needles fall rapidly, and this natural leaf dropping occurrence can go unnoticed. The amount of dropped foliage depends on the condition of the tree. If your trees showed fresh and vigorous growth this year, the health of your trees is not in jeopardy.

To prolong the life of your healthy evergreens and prepare them for winter, you need to be proactive now and deep water them this fall. Water as much of the root zone as possible. Avoid watering at the base of the trunk, but water out near the drip line (the area under the farthest reaching branches). Most of the water absorbing roots are in this area.

Use a soaker hose and thoroughly soak the area. This is essential because evergreens are exposed to the elements all year. Winter winds pull out available moisture, and the roots need to take up extra water to replace this loss. Their top growth ceases during the winter dormant season, but the roots are still active until the soil temperature drops below 35 degrees.

A dry summer followed by a cold winter with little snow can do much harm to evergreens. Keep watering until the ground is frozen and avoid using any salt de-icing materials along the walkways or roads near evergreens. Salty water can restrict water uptake.

This week's answer comes from Judy Penticoff, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener, Winnebago County. Master Gardeners can be contacted weekdays at the University of Illinois Extension office at 815-986-4357.

Rockford Register Star