Japanese White Pine (JWP) Needles Losing Chlorophyll Turning Pale

[Reso]

Hi All, had this JWP for 3 years and it's been very healthy until now. Once colder fall temps hit, needles started losing chlorophyll and started to turn pale yellow. Needles don't seem to be dead as they're still firmly attached and look different to actual dead needles which are brown and shrivelled. There was a fair amount of work done on the tree early fall to transition from development to refinement. Is the roots too wet? Sick? Dying? Normal temperature adjustment? Please shed some light. I'd really appreciate your thoughts and advice. Thank you.

 

[Kanorin]

What kind of soil is it in? When did you wire it? (Just gathering some info that may be pertinent)

 

[Reso]

What kind of soil is it in? When did you wire it? (Just gathering some info that may be pertinent)

Core rootball is still field soil clay. Surrounding it is pumice, lava, calcined clay. Cleaning and wiring was done in early Sept. I'm in Zone 5 Ontario, Canada.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Is it just that branch?

 

[Reso]

Is it just that branch?

It looks to be happening to all branches but to a lesser degree. In the pictures I posted, the branch next to it is still mostly green but up close you can notice the pigment loss.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I think its a root issue. When was it repotted?

 

[Reso]

I think its a root issue. When was it repotted?

Spring 2023

 

[Dermot]

I'm getting the very same issues with one of my white pine trees at the moment. Can't figure out what's going on with it. It pushed strong candles in spring but the needles never turned the healthy dark green shade i expected. They stayed yellowish. In the last few weeks it's going down hill. I did very little work on it this year. Substrate should be OK. It hasn't been repotted in about four years. It's in a large pot to grow out. I was going to repot in autumn but due to the poor health i stayed away.
its got a rubber cover over the Substrate at the moment. Im trying to keep the rain off it. Gave it a good drenching with sequestered iron about two weeks ago. Also gave it a spray of copper fungicide at the weekend. Will give another spray of copper in a week or two.
We had a very poor summer in Ireland. Very little sunshine. I wonder could this be partly responsible?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I think too wet... Can you send a closeup of the soil/pot?

 

[Forestcat]

I'm getting the very same issues with one of my white pine trees at the moment. Can't figure out what's going on with it. It pushed strong candles in spring but the needles never turned the healthy dark green shade i expected. They stayed yellowish. In the last few weeks it's going down hill. I did very little work on it this year. Substrate should be OK. It hasn't been repotted in about four years. It's in a large pot to grow out. I was going to repot in autumn but due to the poor health i stayed away.
its got a rubber cover over the Substrate at the moment. Im trying to keep the rain off it. Gave it a good drenching with sequestered iron about two weeks ago. Also gave it a spray of copper fungicide at the weekend. Will give another spray of copper in a week or two.
We had a very poor summer in Ireland. Very little sunshine. I wonder could this be partly responsible?

It's usually not the best idea to repot the tree into a large pot it will grow into. Usually you want about 3-4 cm all around (after the roots have been trimmed) for the new roots to grow into. I don't think it's a fungus issue (if you are trying to cure needle banding, that is done in the spring rather than the fall, as that's when the spores spread). IMHO it's probably a nutrient or root issue. If the potting medium has broken down, the soil is probably staying too wet. Despite the rubber cover you are using on the pot, rain is getting in around the trunk base and drenching the soil. The rubber cover doesn't allow the roots to breathe. Best to get a piece of plexiglass or something clear and build a small roof structure to support it over the tree.

 

[August44]

I agree on the "to much water, to wet" thoughts. Just my opinion, but I would slip pot that tree and look at the roots to see if any of the roots are black and rotten (easily pulled off ). If you see that, mix up a solution of 3% H2O2 and water 3 H2O-1 H2O2 or use H2O2 straight and drench the soil or soak the tree on a container big enough for 15 minutes. H2O2 will kill the Fungus (root rot) immediately I understand. Google this method and see what is said. The H2O2 also does other helpful things to the tree and soil. I have done this before and it reversed the problem.

 

[Dermot]

Apologies for hijacking the thread here.
I agree the issue appears in the roots. It's very strange it went downhill so quickly in summer. The needles are longer than last years suggesting that it was healthier at needle push stage in early summer. It was quite a damp summer in Ireland even by our standards but I wouldn't have thought it was enough to cause issue to the roots.
It was fed very heavily with chicken manure pellets. Possibly too heavy. I was planning a repot in early September but stayed away as the needles didn't look the healthiest and kept that yellowy shade.
The question is do I take a chance on waiting until spring or go for it now? I don't have much in the way of winter protection.

 

[August44]

Apologies for hijacking the thread here.
I agree the issue appears in the roots. It's very strange it went downhill so quickly in summer. The needles are longer than last years suggesting that it was healthier at needle push stage in early summer. It was quite a damp summer in Ireland even by our standards but I wouldn't have thought it was enough to cause issue to the roots.
It was fed very heavily with chicken manure pellets. Possibly too heavy. I was planning a repot in early September but stayed away as the needles didn't look the healthiest and kept that yellowy shade.
The question is do I take a chance on waiting until spring or go for it now? I don't have much in the way of winter protection.

I personally think that, considering what is going on, I would slip pot it on to a table or whatever you use and take a look at what you have going on. You're not going to hurt it doing that unless you mess with the roots to much. Just take a look. I mentioned this above but you must not agree and are still asking what to do. Maybe an expert will check in here and help you out.

What winter temps do you get there? If you need to after slip potting you could put the tree up next to the house and mulch it. It will be alright unless it gets really cold there. If it does, garage, or shed or something.