Evergreen plants have foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. In Arctic areas, the name refers to coniferous shrubs and trees that have thicker, more leathery leaves. Although evergreens retain their foliage the whole year round, this does not mean they are exempt from illness and infection. These trees, like any others, can become weakened due to various causes and may die unless promptly treated.
How to save a dying evergreen
Whether you will be able to revive your dying tree will depend on the cause and the severity of the problem. For the best chance at restoring its overall health, ensure that you are providing optimal care and living conditions to reduce stress on the plant and bolster its resistance to possible diseases and pests.
Prune the affected or dead areas.
Prune or trim back any dead or affected parts to prevent further spread of infection or disease. Nearby trees may also need to have some branches removed or could require extensive pruning. Tree professionals should be consulted to evaluate the extent of the damage.
Provide one deep watering each week.
Water the trees deeply once a week, and ensure that the soil is well-draining. This enables the water to reach at least 15 inches into the soil. If the trees are planted in soil with a high clay content, you should only water every two weeks.
Avoid light waterings.
Multiple light waterings could stimulate the roots to grow too near to the surface.
Provide a final deep watering in the late fall.
Make sure to give the trees a final deep watering during late fall, just before the ground freezes.
Spread mulch over the root area to retain moisture.
Mulching can be a great help in retaining soil moisture and warmth, especially during the long winter months.
Check the soil pH and content.
Ideally, you should be aware of the soil’s pH level and content so that you can adjust as necessary to suit the trees’ needs. To increase the pH, use compounds containing lime or limestone; to lower it, use organic materials, sulfur or aluminum sulfate.
Do not fertilize in late summer or fall.
Make sure to fertilize only during spring and very early summer. If you fertilize during late summer or fall, it could bring about new growth and cause unnecessary stress for the trees.
Apply fungicides to protect the trees from diseases.
Be sure to use fungicides to prevent diseases from returning. Do this after pruning the affected parts of the trees.
Protect the trees from freezing temperatures during winter.
Use burlap or tree wraps to protect the trees, to give them a chance to recover more quickly.
Reasons your evergreen trees may be dying
It could be due to evergreen tree diseases.
Evergreen tree diseases common in conifers include needle cast. Symptoms are browning needles or an abnormal loss of the green color in the needles, severe needle drop, and dieback. To treat it, apply fungicide and prune away dead branches, twigs and other affected areas. Dispose of fallen foliage and do not add it to compost piles. Deep-water the trees once weekly so they can recover from stress.
It could be due to fungal infections like rust.
These pathogenic fungi are specialized plant pathogens that cause raised blisters on the trees. These blisters reveal bright orange to rusty-brown spores; hence the name. The symptoms include rust-colored powder that spreads over the foliage, and brightly colored swellings, or galls, on the branches and twigs. To treat the disease, prune away dead twigs, stems and branches and dispose of debris by burning it, rather than adding it to compost piles. Apply fungicide and deep-water the affected trees once weekly.
It could be due to environmental factors like drought.
Drought causes damage and death to tree roots, creating an ideal environment for secondary diseases. It also causes a water deficit in the trees since water is no longer supplied to the treetops. Symptoms include heavy leaf or needle drop, needles that are brownish at the tips, drooping or yellowing leaves, dieback, cracks in the bark, and a thinning canopy.
Prune away the affected branches and leaves, and provide deep watering once a week. The water should reach at least 15 inches into the soil. Give a final deep watering in late fall and mulch the area of the root spread to help retain moisture.
It could be due to winter injury.
Winter injury occurs when there are sudden temperature changes during the fall, winter and spring seasons. A freeze in late spring or abnormally cold winters can cause great damage to evergreens. Symptoms include dieback, discoloration, splitting bark, heavy loss of foliage, and needles browning at the tips.
Such weather conditions cannot be controlled, but the condition can be managed by pruning back dead or affected parts and providing deep watering once a week. Give a last deep watering in late fall before the ground freezes, and use burlap wraps to provide physical protection from severe winter weather.
Conclusion
Evergreen trees keep their foliage all year round, and the foliage remains functional and green for more than one season. However, evergreens are also prone to problems and diseases that could lead to damage or even death. Help keep your trees resistant to the stress of these conditions by pruning away dead or affected parts, providing deep watering once a week. and applying fungicides to protect them from diseases.
Image: istockphoto.com / Marina Denisenko