Hemlocks dying

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by tis

We noticed the same exact thing with the pines! We have been talking about it for a couple of days. I know there is a pine disease which might strike one tree but not the one next to it. We lost a huge one to it a couple of years ago. But you are right, so many of them are brown this spring that we are wondering if it is this or something else. If it is that disease we are going to lose a lot of pine trees!!

I think (and hope) it's just lack of rain and not disease. From what I notice on my property, areas/branches of our pine trees that get direct sun are turning brown and shedding needles. The trees that are mostly shaded look fine.

[mcdude]

I've dug up a few of the smaller hemlocks and brought them home. They transplanted well and are now about 4 feet tall. I noticed yesterday that one has significantly fewer new "buds" than the other and upon closer inspection, yup...you guessed it...Woolley Adelgid.

Has anyone had any luck spraying them with Talstar?..or know of another treatment option that I could do myself? (short of calling a tree company?)

[Jeanzb1]

My husband used to be in the tree and shrub business down in Mass. He says that Talstar doesn't really work, and that the trees really need to be sprayed with horticultural oil before the temperature reaches 50 degrees. It should have been done in early spring, so it's probably too late now. But he says that it should be done again in the fall when the temperature is consistently around 40 degrees.

[BroadHopper]

Always contact UNH whenever you have any questions about plants. They are the most knowledgeble folks in the business. They also gather all informations and create statistical studies.

[ArborTech]

Being in the business of trees, I have used the UNH Cooperative extension offices many times in order to gain answers to the unexplained.

I have taken down better then a hundred of these declining hemlocks in the recent years. I have been able to find the reason for each of their demise. Sometimes it is as simple as soil compaction or construction stress or as complex as changes in soil hydrology or insect infestation.

One important thing to note: If the trees you are thinking are dead are in a location that has limited equipment access, it is important to get someone to look at them sooner rather then later. Once the trees are to compromised to climb safely (if need be), the job only gets harder.

Reguardless, the county forester is a great source of information. The Belknap county forester is Andy Fast and he is based out of Laconia.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

ArborTech
Our place on Rattlesnake is Hemlock heaven. When we counted the rings on one we lost a few years ago it was about a hundred years old. Watching the small ones grow over the last 8 years, we notice that they grow very slow.

Is there anything we could do pro-actively to help them be more disease and bug tolerant?

We can't imagine what the lot would be like without the giants.

[ArborTech]

I can really appreciate those stately older trees that are around the lake. They've certainly been through alot. As for preserving their health, pruning out any dead, diseased or damaged limbs (from top to bottom) will improve the trees overall health. There are many measures that tree companies can provide (structural pruning, cabling, fertilizing, etc.) in order to maintain the trees, but as for the home/landowner the practices may be limited.

-Avoid having heavy equipment consistently passing over the root systems of the trees. Soil compaction eliminates oxygen in the soil. I see this alot around the lake.

-Prevent redirection of surface or ground water. This often happens when new culverts or drainage ditches are installed. However, leach fields, dry wells, and perimeter drains can contribute to this problem as well.

-If you have construction done on your property, don't let trees get soil mounded up around the base (backfilled to high) or have the bark scraped off the bottom. This will cause almost certain decline.

-At all costs....don't girdle the tree with chain, rope, cable or anything else! I run into this at least once a week working around the lake. People use the trees to hold up their docks, swings and numerous other things. This will certainly kill the tree eventually. There are other noninvasive ways to do this.


These are just a few things you can do to help the trees on your property. Pests and insects are hard to combat without outside help. Pruning is always an affordable option to improve the health of your trees.

[mcdude]

Originally Posted by Jeanzb1

Talstar doesn't really work, and that the trees really need to be sprayed with horticultural oil before the temperature reaches 50 degrees. It should have been done in early spring, so it's probably too late now. But he says that it should be done again in the fall when the temperature is consistently around 40 degrees.

Sprayed the trees with this oil stuff (available at your local hardware store) in the Spring and again recently when the temps dropped into the 40s at night and...it seems to have worked!!!!