dying fir trees

[Chris]

Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive me if
I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look "furry" from a
distance).

What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning brown. Soon
it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's completely brown and wilted.
It's very sad to see such nice, big trees die.
Chris

[Cindy]

Chris wrote:
> Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive
> me if I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look
> "furry" from a distance).
>
> What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning
> brown. Soon it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's
> completely brown and wilted. It's very sad to see such nice, big
> trees die.
> Chris

I'm in Houston, and one of my junipers died this summer for no reason that I
can see.

[ie]

hm....come to think of it I noticed an evergreen on our Saturday bike ride
on a corner in Anderson Mill that had a section that had turned brown....

My juniper (still potted, not planted yet) bit the dust, too but I assumed
it was underwatered...maybe not...


"Cindy" > wrote in message
. ..
> Chris wrote:
>> Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive
>> me if I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look
>> "furry" from a distance).
>>
>> What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning
>> brown. Soon it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's
>> completely brown and wilted. It's very sad to see such nice, big
>> trees die.
>> Chris
>
> I'm in Houston, and one of my junipers died this summer for no reason that
> I can see.
>

[BJ in Texas]

Chris > wrote:
|| Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin?
|| Forgive me if I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine
|| needles, look "furry" from a distance).
||
|| What gives with that? They start on a small portion by
|| turning brown. Soon it spreads to engulf the entire tree
|| until it's completely brown and wilted. It's very sad to see
|| such nice, big trees die.
|| Chris

I have notices loosing a lot of Cedar trees on our country
property the last several years.

BJ
--
"Live as though there is no tomorrow, Love as though you have
never been hurt, Dance as if no one is looking..." - Satchel
Paige

[Chris]

I'll try and snap a picture or two of the dying trees for identification and
as an alert.
Chris


"BJ in Texas" > wrote in message
. ..
> Chris > wrote:
> || Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin?
> || Forgive me if I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine
> || needles, look "furry" from a distance).
> ||
> || What gives with that? They start on a small portion by
> || turning brown. Soon it spreads to engulf the entire tree
> || until it's completely brown and wilted. It's very sad to see
> || such nice, big trees die.
> || Chris
>
> I have notices loosing a lot of Cedar trees on our country
> property the last several years.
>
> BJ
> --
> "Live as though there is no tomorrow, Love as though you have
> never been hurt, Dance as if no one is looking..." - Satchel
> Paige
>
>

[Treedweller]

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 01:12:52 GMT, "Chris" > wrote:

>Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive me if
>I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look "furry" from a
>distance).
>
>What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning brown. Soon
>it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's completely brown and wilted.
>It's very sad to see such nice, big trees die.
>Chris
>
A lot of junipers are losing the war with drought right now.

In general, pine trees in Austin will do okay for a few years, then
get infected with a fungus that causes needles to turn brown and fall
off from the bottom up. They need acidic soil and we don't have it.

I'm not sure I've seen a fir in Austin.

Keith Babberney
ISA Certified Arborist #TX-236

[User Example]

Treedweller wrote:
> On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 01:12:52 GMT, "Chris" > wrote:
>
>
>>Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive me if
>>I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look "furry" from a
>>distance).
>>
>>What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning brown. Soon
>>it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's completely brown and wilted.
>>It's very sad to see such nice, big trees die.
>>Chris
>>

I don't know about that but something weird has happened across the
street from my house. Last year, 2 big trees suddenly died in this one
yard. Not sure of the tree type... something like a birch maybe... I
don't know.

This year, the house beside it just had 2 big bradford pear trees
suddenly die. And by suddenly I mean one week they were green and then
a couple weeks later the leaves are brown and falling off.

What would do such a thing? Seems too weird to be just a coincidence.
I looked and didn't see any kind of tree damage to any of them.

[Cindy]

> This year, the house beside it just had 2 big bradford pear trees
> suddenly die. And by suddenly I mean one week they were green and
> then a couple weeks later the leaves are brown and falling off.
>
> What would do such a thing? Seems too weird to be just a coincidence.
> I looked and didn't see any kind of tree damage to any of them.

That's what it was like with my juniper. Wasn't drought, I was watering.
Suddenly all the tips browned, and it spread inward from there and was
crunchy dry in like three or four weeks.

[Cliff]

You probably killed with kindness. The Ashe Juniper doesn't need water and
in fact usually does not do well when it has been captured in a landscape.
You don't see them dieing out in the Hill Country.


"Cindy" > wrote in message
. ..
>
>
>> This year, the house beside it just had 2 big bradford pear trees
>> suddenly die. And by suddenly I mean one week they were green and
>> then a couple weeks later the leaves are brown and falling off.
>>
>> What would do such a thing? Seems too weird to be just a coincidence.
>> I looked and didn't see any kind of tree damage to any of them.
>
> That's what it was like with my juniper. Wasn't drought, I was watering.
> Suddenly all the tips browned, and it spread inward from there and was
> crunchy dry in like three or four weeks.
>

[Cindy]

Cliff wrote:
> You probably killed with kindness. The Ashe Juniper doesn't need
> water and in fact usually does not do well when it has been captured
> in a landscape. You don't see them dieing out in the Hill Country.

It wasn't an Ashe juniper. Can't remember the name, but it's the one with
the spiraling tortuous-looking branches. The one on the other side of my
house gets even more water, as my hose outlet drips a bit, and it's doing
fine.

[Lori]

Here in Alaska, we are plagued by an insidious creature called a
"Spruce Beetle". I know they have made their way to Washington state,
wonder if they made it to Texas as well? If so, look out, and dont
invest any time or energy into landscaping with evergreens! From your
description, it sure sounds like the spruce beetle attack we have here!

Lori
BJ in Texas wrote:
> Chris > wrote:
> || Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin?
> || Forgive me if I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine
> || needles, look "furry" from a distance).
> ||
> || What gives with that? They start on a small portion by
> || turning brown. Soon it spreads to engulf the entire tree
> || until it's completely brown and wilted. It's very sad to see
> || such nice, big trees die.
> || Chris
>
> I have notices loosing a lot of Cedar trees on our country
> property the last several years.
>
> BJ
> --
> "Live as though there is no tomorrow, Love as though you have
> never been hurt, Dance as if no one is looking..." - Satchel
> Paige

[Gae Xavier]

User Example wrote:
> Treedweller wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 01:12:52 GMT, "Chris" > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive
>>> me if
>>> I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look "furry"
>>> from a
>>> distance).
>>>
>>> What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning
>>> brown. Soon
>>> it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's completely brown and
>>> wilted.
>>> It's very sad to see such nice, big trees die.
>>> Chris
>>>
>
> I don't know about that but something weird has happened across the
> street from my house. Last year, 2 big trees suddenly died in this one
> yard. Not sure of the tree type... something like a birch maybe... I
> don't know.
>
> This year, the house beside it just had 2 big bradford pear trees
> suddenly die. And by suddenly I mean one week they were green and then
> a couple weeks later the leaves are brown and falling off.
>
> What would do such a thing? Seems too weird to be just a coincidence. I
> looked and didn't see any kind of tree damage to any of them.

Well, how long has it been since we had rain? Every tree I have has been
under considerable stress from the drought.

My fig tree turned yellow and started dropping leaves until I watered it.

I looked out one day and my huge mimosa had dropped all it's fronds on
the yard -- until I watered it.

The peach trees were all wilted until I watered them.

My neighbor lost all the leaves on her cottonwood -- she's out of town
for the summer. A red bud bit the dust also in her yard.

A pine tree down the road has died. No rain and nobody has watered it
all summer long.

Everything I am seeing in my neighborhood is totally due to the drought
we have been in and no one is watering their trees. A live oak and some
cedars can survive it, but even they can get sick in a drought if no one
waters them.

Thank the good Lord, it's raining today!

Gae Xavier,
REALTOR, Stanberry & Assocs.
http://www.stanberry.com/

[Matt Townsend]

Gae Xavier wrote:
> User Example wrote:
>
>> Treedweller wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 01:12:52 GMT, "Chris" > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive
>>>> me if
>>>> I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look "furry"
>>>> from a
>>>> distance).
>>>>
>>>> What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning
>>>> brown. Soon
>>>> it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's completely brown and
>>>> wilted.
>>>> It's very sad to see such nice, big trees die.
>>>> Chris
>>>>
>>
>> I don't know about that but something weird has happened across the
>> street from my house. Last year, 2 big trees suddenly died in this
>> one yard. Not sure of the tree type... something like a birch
>> maybe... I don't know.
>>
>> This year, the house beside it just had 2 big bradford pear trees
>> suddenly die. And by suddenly I mean one week they were green and
>> then a couple weeks later the leaves are brown and falling off.
>>
>> What would do such a thing? Seems too weird to be just a coincidence.
>> I looked and didn't see any kind of tree damage to any of them.
>
>
> Well, how long has it been since we had rain? Every tree I have has been
> under considerable stress from the drought.
>
> My fig tree turned yellow and started dropping leaves until I watered it.
>
> I looked out one day and my huge mimosa had dropped all it's fronds on
> the yard -- until I watered it.
>
> The peach trees were all wilted until I watered them.
>
> My neighbor lost all the leaves on her cottonwood -- she's out of town
> for the summer. A red bud bit the dust also in her yard.
>
> A pine tree down the road has died. No rain and nobody has watered it
> all summer long.
>
> Everything I am seeing in my neighborhood is totally due to the drought
> we have been in and no one is watering their trees. A live oak and some
> cedars can survive it, but even they can get sick in a drought if no one
> waters them.
>
I am lucky in that out of 4 trees, 3 are live oaks and get along fine
without water, and the arizona ash is just off the edge of the septic
field so it gets plenty of water.

> Thank the good Lord, it's raining today!
>

Amen to that

> Gae Xavier,
> REALTOR, Stanberry & Assocs.
> http://www.stanberry.com/

[Cindy]

>
> Well, how long has it been since we had rain? Every tree I have has
> been under considerable stress from the drought.

I was watering my juniper.

[Treedweller]

On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 19:38:05 GMT, "Cindy" > wrote:

>
>>
>> Well, how long has it been since we had rain? Every tree I have has
>> been under considerable stress from the drought.
>
>I was watering my juniper.
>
How were you watering? Taking into consideration that a tree's feeder
roots extend outward up to 2-3 times the tree height, you may not have
been watering a wide enough area. Considering most feeder roots are
in the top 12-18 inches of soil, but mostly beneath grass, you may not
have been watering deeply enough. If both these possibilities seem
inplausible, you may have been overwatering. Depending on what type
of juniper it was, you may have had a species ill-suited to Austin's
alkaline soil conditions. Just no way to know without more info.

k

[Cindy]

> How were you watering? Taking into consideration that a tree's feeder
> roots extend outward up to 2-3 times the tree height, you may not have
> been watering a wide enough area. Considering most feeder roots are
> in the top 12-18 inches of soil, but mostly beneath grass, you may not
> have been watering deeply enough. If both these possibilities seem
> inplausible, you may have been overwatering. Depending on what type
> of juniper it was, you may have had a species ill-suited to Austin's
> alkaline soil conditions. Just no way to know without more info.
>
> k

I'm in Houston. The tree was in my yard, next to my house on the east side,
and the fence with drainage area on the other. It got watered when I
watered the lawn, and also when I watered a grouping of container plants
around it. I don't think it was overwatered, as I didn't water the lawn
that much. Who knows. It's gone and I'm going to plant something else.

[Lil' Dave]

You guys can come to Wimberley and take all the junipers you want. They're
a nuisance down here. Nothing kills them, and they kill the native two
species of oak in the hill country by sucking all water up during typical
dry summers. This summer hasn't been that way except for June, so the oaks
are okay.

"ie" > wrote in message
...
> hm....come to think of it I noticed an evergreen on our Saturday bike ride
> on a corner in Anderson Mill that had a section that had turned brown....
>
> My juniper (still potted, not planted yet) bit the dust, too but I assumed
> it was underwatered...maybe not...
>
>
> "Cindy" > wrote in message
> . ..
> > Chris wrote:
> >> Has anyone noticed that the fir trees are dying in Austin? Forgive
> >> me if I'm wrong on the type of tree (evergreen, pine needles, look
> >> "furry" from a distance).
> >>
> >> What gives with that? They start on a small portion by turning
> >> brown. Soon it spreads to engulf the entire tree until it's
> >> completely brown and wilted. It's very sad to see such nice, big
> >> trees die.
> >> Chris
> >
> > I'm in Houston, and one of my junipers died this summer for no reason
that
> > I can see.
> >
>
>