Pine

[Backwoods Savage]

You've heard about white pine; here's some more white pine. I found one tree last winter like this but just thought it was frost. Since then we've had a couple more do this. Just looks like a white mold but I'm starting to wonder if I should cut these trees down before it spreads.

 

[shawneyboy]

BS,

If it is a mold cutting it down (when it falls) will probably help to spread it. Unless of course you bag the entire tree rpior to felling. Or at least I would think the spores would spread when you fell the tree.

Shawn

 

[CTYank]

Looks like the high-density of stems in that plantation might have stressed the trees, for one. No telling what other factors might have kicked in, like extended drought.
Might want to contact your county agricultural extension agent (or forester, if you have one there) for advice as to how to proceed.
Meanwhile, I'd "google" it all sorts of ways.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Could be this: http://www.forestpests.org/vermont/pinebarkadelgid.html

 

[Wood Duck]

It looks like the bug in the link posted by adios p. One possibility is that cutting the tree means the bugs on it will starve. another is that cutting the tree will encourage them to spread. The link says control is usually not necessry. It was probably a weak tree for some reason and that is why the adelgids (sort of like an aphid, I think) attacked.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

You say you've had already had a couple more do that? I'd be cutting and burning them right away (bonfire) just to nip it in the butt and hopefully prevent any possiblility of futher spread.

 

[flyingcow]

It's the very rare "Albino Pine".

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks for the link Adios and indeed, I believe that is what we have.

Indeed these pines were planted too close but at the time that is what they advised we do. It was open yellow sand that practically nothing would grow on it. Indeed, it took many years before they amounted to anything and many times we thought they would die. I also recall back in the early 80's when our boys were about to leave the nest and we used to play frisbee golf out there along with using it as an archery course. About 2 or 3 years after the youngest left home they suddenly dropped all their yellow needles and growth started. Within just a few years they shot up to 10-12 feet. Now the have all lost the needles on the lower limbs and probably should be thinned. At the very least, the lower limbs makes kindling par excellence.

btw, nobody asked and probably everyone knows but just in case, these are all white pine. I'm thinking we planted them in the early 70's but don't remember for sure.

 

[backpack09]

About 2 or 3 years after the youngest left home

Sounds like these trees may have been your kids favorite pee trees... My son prefers a rose of sharon in the back yard.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well, the kids had thousands to choose from...

 

[firefighterjake]

It's the very rare "Albino Pine".

Very scary . . . I was thinking of posting something along those lines.

 

[billb3]

We did the same in a gravel pit here.
Started planting pine. ( I tried christmas trees, but they are just too much work if you're trying to squeeze it into time home from College)
Close planting was to encourage straight tall growth and loss of lower branches before they got too big and were full of big knots.
We even had boy scouts earn badges transplanting pines and "reforesting".

We found pine seed was blowing in on the predominate wind so let nature have her way.


All our nice neat straight rows are pretty much gone or un-noticable now.
The x-mas trees were pushed out by the pine and maple.

The trees in your shots are nice and straight. Looks like you didn't have troubles with the borers that eat the new top growth causing 2, 3 and 4 tops making the tree useless for much beyond fire wood.
We have lots of those.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

No, not much problem with borers here. We also planted some scotch pines, a few reds and some spruce too. And like you, we now have plenty of new trees that we did not plant but Nature helped us.

 

[Duetech]

Looks like curbing the pest would entail cutting the tree down and burning it all during the winter. With three trees showing evidence I would think is is already an infestation and would be looking for evidence on other trees to add to the bonfire. That might be over-reacting but the intense heat will probably prevent further infestation.

 

[midwestcoast]

Looks like time for a thinning as you mention. It'll help the remaining trees grow stronger & faster and you could even make a bit of money on the deal if you have enough acres of that stuff. Of course you'll want a company that will thin without taking more than needed or tearing up your land too bad.
FWIW My grandfather had about 30 acres of crowded red pine thinned several years back. The loggers took 2 rows for access trails & left 3 rows between them. That let a lot of wind in & many of the remaining trees were bent or broken in storms the following winter, but whats left seems to be growing well.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, we have been looking at perhaps taking half of those trees out of there along with some scotch pines.