Dying Pine, Updated with pictures/questions!

[Hass]

I have quite a few dead pine on my property, maybe 1 in every 5-6 are dead.
Perhaps every other one has missing bark/falling off bark on it, and the needles are dead as well.
The wooded area on my property is ~1-1.5 acres.

The majority of it is all pine. with some random cherry and two willows mixed in.
Willows are fairly big, probably about 4ft diameter trunks.
Speaking of willow, there's a branch that fell from one of the trees that's around 2 1/2ft diameter, and... very long, is that safe to burn in wood stoves? or should I keep it for burning outside/camping?

I don't know how long the pines that are dead, have been dead because I just moved in here august of last year and was tending to the house... First chance I got to really take a look at the wooded area.
Although it does appear that the previous owners mistook the area for a garbage dump.
Found old toilets, pillows, a wedding arch thing with lights still attached, about 20 years worth of cat litter in a giant pile, about 2 cords of rotted firewood that crumbles, and a tractor tire about 5' diameter that looks pretty new... with tons and tons of other garbage.


Here are the pictures of ones that I think may be dying.
The bark is missing and is falling off, and if you touch the bark that is still there, it just falls right off.
Some also have their needles as very brown.

What can cause this, and is it something I should take care of?
Should I cut down all of the dead/dying ones, so that the ones that are still in good shape can survive?
There are many, many like these in pictures, some better some worse.
some branches are totally bare.
P.S.
the tree in the last pic, what few needles it does have are brown.

 

[nrford]

Those are Scotch pines, it is normal for the bark to flake and peel off like that. More than likely these trees where plantes as a christmas tree crop and left to mature. They probably have some type of root weavil or other pest infecting them.

 

[will711]

They look like Scotch Pine from the pictures. They have a bark that peels off in papery flakes the lower branches do die very soon as the tree ages. As far as pest or diseases I don't know of any. Are these trees planted close together?? Scotch pine makes a fine Christmas tree.

 

[Hass]

thanks guys.

They look like Scotch Pine from the pictures. They have a bark that peels off in papery flakes the lower branches do die very soon as the tree ages. As far as pest or diseases I don't know of any. Are these trees planted close together?? Scotch pine makes a fine Christmas tree.

Yes, some are within a foot of each other.
Although some are doing the same thing that have no other tree within 15-20 feet of it.
but if it's normal, then I suppose it's nothing to worry about :]

I do agree, they would make a very fine Christmas tree! except maybe if they had more than just the top couple of branches alive :]




wiki says;
Scots Pines are killed by the pinewood nematode, which causes pine wilt disease. The nematode most often attacks trees that are at least ten years old and often kills invaded trees within a few weeks.[19]

 

[will711]

thanks guys.

They look like Scotch Pine from the pictures. They have a bark that peels off in papery flakes the lower branches do die very soon as the tree ages. As far as pest or diseases I don't know of any. Are these trees planted close together?? Scotch pine makes a fine Christmas tree.

Yes, some are within a foot of each other.
Although some are doing the same thing that have no other tree within 15-20 feet of it.
but if it's normal, then I suppose it's nothing to worry about :] The bark exfoliating is normal and the dying branches are too. As the tree ages it becomes more open & wide spreading losing the conical shape of a Christmas tree and becoming more umbrella like.

I do agree, they would make a very fine Christmas tree! except maybe if they had more than just the top couple of branches alive :]




wiki says;
Scots Pines are killed by the pinewood nematode, which causes pine wilt disease. The nematode most often attacks trees that are at least ten years old and often kills invaded trees within a few weeks.[19]

 

[weatherguy]

They look like Scotch Pine from the pictures. They have a bark that peels off in papery flakes the lower branches do die very soon as the tree ages. As far as pest or diseases I don't know of any. Are these trees planted close together?? Scotch pine makes a fine Christmas tree.

Take pictures next Dec when you put that tree in your living room :lol:

 

[TreePointer]

Pine wilt. As a species, Scots pine is very susceptible to it. We've had to remove a lot of these from my parents' farm in recent years.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have quite a few dead pine on my property, maybe 1 in every 5-6 are dead.
Perhaps every other one has missing bark/falling off bark on it, and the needles are dead as well.
The wooded area on my property is ~1-1.5 acres.

The majority of it is all pine. with some random cherry and two willows mixed in.
Willows are fairly big, probably about 4ft diameter trunks.
Speaking of willow, there's a branch that fell from one of the trees that's around 2 1/2ft diameter, and... very long, is that safe to burn in wood stoves? or should I keep it for burning outside/camping?

I don't know how long the pines that are dead, have been dead because I just moved in here august of last year and was tending to the house... First chance I got to really take a look at the wooded area.
Although it does appear that the previous owners mistook the area for a garbage dump.
Found old toilets, pillows, a wedding arch thing with lights still attached, about 20 years worth of cat litter in a giant pile, about 2 cords of rotted firewood that crumbles, and a tractor tire about 5' diameter that looks pretty new... with tons and tons of other garbage.

Hass, we too have a lot of scotch pine and every year a few of them die. The oldest are about 50 years now and they were planted a bit too close together but nothing like yours. Rather they will be okay to burn just depends upon if they are punky or not. Punk stays in the woods here.

On the willow, certainly it will burn fine in the stove but is a poor wood for heating. Still, spring and fall will be okay so long as you don't need a long fire and a nice coal bed. Around here, we leave the willow in the woods because we just have too much of the good wood to burn and it takes no longer to put up good wood as it does marginal wood.

That cherry is excellent firewood.

It is sad to see a woods where someone has used it for a dump. But you may be able to salvage a few things. For example, that tractor tire could come in very handy for making a nice flower bed for the wife's use. Or a sandbox for the kids. I can even remember the time we were goofing around with one and if you sit right in the tire and have someone roll you or roll down a small hill it can be a ball. You might be a bit dizzy when you stop though. lol

With most of that junk, you might think of having someone come in with a backhoe to dig a hole and bury all of it but if not too much, then put it out for trash collection.

Good luck.

 

[Hass]

Thanks again guys,

The area will be all cleaned up this coming summer, when I finish gutting the rest of the house and rent a 30yd dumpster or two for the debris.

downed 4 pines and a telephone pole today...
one dead pine near my house and propane tank, actually threw a strap on it and managed to pull it right over, the truck/roots were all rotted out.

The telephone pole was not used in 25+ years, as the previous owners of my house didn't know anything about it.
it was sitting right in the middle of my lawn, quite the eyesore. I have no idea what it's made out of, all I know is that it's very very dry and not rotted.
Not sure if it was hit with a preservative or not. I'll put up pictures tomorrow when it's light out.

Then another was one that was a casualty the willow tree branch when it fell, snapped the pine right in half.

The other two were just dead pines.

Like I said, I'll put up some pictures tomorrow.
Big thumbs up for the recommendation on a stihl 390.
Flies right through these trees no problem, only exception telephone pole, seemed a little slower on that then the pines.

How long can you except a typical chain on these to last?
The chain still seems sharp as the first cut... angles all still seem right on.

I'm definitely going to need some help on deciding on what type of tree to replace two dead pines near my house with... They were part of a windbreak, and more importantly to block traffics view of my backyard :]

 

[Loco Gringo]

Be carefull with the dead ones, crazy things can happen in seconds.

 

[TreePointer]

pine tree (pine wilt)
oak tree (oak blight)
utility pole (urban blight)

They all gotta go some time.

 

[fatwoodfirestarters]

We have the same thing on our property with virginia pine. It is normal when they reach that size to die as the forest changes back to hardwood. If you want to burn them cut them before they get on the ground as the rot fast then. I suggest you harvest them if you want to use them for anything as they will likely all die soon.

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

I don't think it's as big a problem with eastern pines, but out here in the Rocky Mtn west, our lodgepole & ponderosa pines are getting hit hard by pine beetle epidemics. In some areas, there's whole hill/mtn sides that've turned red. White Pine blister is also hitting our Whitebark Pines pretty bad also.

 

[CTYank]

How long can you except a typical chain on these to last?
The chain still seems sharp as the first cut... angles all still seem right on.

No such thing as a "typical chain" determining chain longevity. Depends on what you cut- dirt, metal, nearby stone- and how quick you are to notice the damage and sharpen the chain.
Cutter geometry is seldom affected by being used (rather, by the grinding/filing process.) What is affected by wood, rather than metal/stone, is the sharpness of the cutting edge. After a while you can tell when they're getting dull by looking for a reflective strip where the cutting edge was, or staining behind the cutting edge. And/or you'll be able to tell with a quick touch on a cutter if it's dull or ready.
I'm hoping you've researched hand-filing, and chosen a good file-guide. IMHO, key to good chainsaw performance. If not, lots of good info searchable here and on ArboristSite.

 

[Hass]

Okay, since you guys know a lot, and like pictures... I figure I'll pick some brains if you'll let me! :]

First off, here's what I said I'd post... pictures from yesterday, some of the smaller branches still have to be cut up yet, so there's a bit more work to do, but it's fairly windy today so I don't feel like working outside :]
In pics 3-6, that was an old telephone pole, what type of wood is it?

This guy stands out as I was walking through, it's a golden color, different from anything else I have... what is it?
The shed and all that trash is my wonderful neighbors behind me... awesome guy. /shrug
Funny thing is, his shed is actually on my property if you look at the stakes that they survey company put down. (not in pic!)

This guy here is almost growing at a 45 degree angle, is that normal? and should I just let him grow in peace?
Some other trees in the pic, but you can see it still.

What's the actual proper amount of space in between trees I should be having?
As I look at my neighbors property (guy behind me), he has the same pines, although they're probably 15-20ft apart, and actually look rather nice... versus mine that look like... poopoo :]

Here's some trees that are growing close together, once again.. should I intervene or leave them be?

Then this guy here is probably a question for my power company, as it's getting all tangled up in the power lines currently and if you look closely the branch in the top of the pic is tugging the line quite a bit.
The rest of the smaller branches are on it too, but they don't seem to be doing much of anything.
However, the tree is a pretty big guy and is towering over my house on the untrimmed parts... If anything were to happen to it, my tiny little house would become a lot more... flat.

Sorry about all the questions, I hope you guys can help!
Just trying to do a better job than the previous people did... and make it look nice and presentable! :]

 

[will711]

Don't worry about all the questions you take pride in your home and property and are looking for advice. I know I don't have all the answers,but I will try to answer a few or at least give my opinion.
Telephone pole looks like a cedar.
The golden color tree near the shed looks like a young willow you said there were willows on property.
The 45* leaner probably should come down.
The sucker trees at the base of the pines I would cut down.
Anything near the power lines I don"t touch.
I hope this helps thanks for the pic's

 

[Hass]

Thanks will!
What about the larger pines being 1-2ft next to each other?
Should I thin them out a tad, so they're not all fighting against each other?
Is there a rule of thumb or anything to be followed?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Haas, on the larger pines that are 1-2' apart, they may do okay but they usually grow slower. Then as they age, some limbs or even the trunks further up may start rubbing against each other and that could be their downfall. But it is still amazing just how much abuse some trees will take.

On those trees that grow on an angle, I sort of like them and many times just let them grow to see how then end up. If you don't like the looks of it, cut it. Otherwise, if it is healthy, it won't harm anything unless it is against another tree. We have a few where the tops actually come down and touch the ground. I'll leave them alone. Those type trees too the deer love to lay under them.

On the trees, what to take out and what not to take out, you'll get differences of opinion. For sure anyone looking for possible sale for lumber, they want only the best left standing. In most woodlots though they usually take out only the dead or near dead trees. For example, on our place, for many years now we've cut mainly elm and ash. The elm dies from the dutch elm disease and the ash from the emerald ash borer. Occasionally we'll get a few others like some cherry and we just took down a pin oak. I have one more pin oak to cut because it is dead but I'm in no hurry to cut it. I've waited because it is on the side of a hill so I won't cut it when there is snow or ice. Now the snow and ice is gone but I'll probably wait until next fall to cut it as we do almost all of our cutting in the winter (starting in early December). It will probably be the first tree I cut next fall.

 

[Wood Duck]

With those crowded trees you don't have to do anything, but a lot of people would thin them out. it seems like you have an old stand of Scots Pine with younger hardwoods growing in below. I might try to thin some trees to allow the best of the hardwoods to grow better. By the best, I mean the ones that are straight, nicely positioned (not too close to eachother or close to a pine, etc.) and I'd want a mix of species. The leaning tree could survive for years so no need to remove it, unless you want to.