Huge Ponderosa Pine on new home property in need of help!

[TheJollyLogger]

Hi SB, No disrespect intended, I have only been to Texas once, and I don’t know what your area is like. Oregon is known as being a SOGGY State, much of the Western part IS, but the High Desert of Central Oregon, if a Lawn isn’t watered, it won’t be Lush and Green much of the year. Texas is much larger than Oregon, and I have no doubt that Texas, has many Climatic regions as well.

I do know the are in which John lives well, and to have a lawn look like that there, it does take water.

Stay, Cool,Safe and Healthy
Doug

I spent 15 years landscaping and doing tree work on the front range of Colorado, so as soon as I saw that pic I knew it was irrigated, and pretty sure it is an Austrian pine as well, just looking at the branch pattern. We will get some better pics and see if we can't help out.

 

[Husky Man]

Nobody

Yup that is what they look like here too. We have the Bark Beetle attacking them every day. Thanks

That’s a Dayumed Shame about the Bugs, I don’t have many Ponderosa in my area, some at the very eastern side of where we cut, I have some rounds, but haven’t burned any yet.

I see a lot of Ponderosa in the areas that I work frequently, Attractive and Impressive Trees, and I am around BIG Douglas Firs, and See the Coast Redwoods quite a bit as well. It’s too bad them Damned Beetles like the better trees, not the weeds like Cottonwood and Vine Maples

Doug

 

[TheJollyLogger]

It is devastating to see in person, and unfortunately only going to get worse...

 

[Luithien1]

Thought I would add a shot of a yellow pine (ponderosa) on our ranch that I knew well back in the day. This was one of the largest in Idaho at the time.
Photo is of my father and our Great Pyrenees/St. Bernard cross. Taken in Garden Valley the winter of 1973. The tree was known as "Old Yeller",
and had been hit by lightening about a century before. Blaze was on far side of photo. It got hit again a couple years after this photo and sadly did not survive.
The day it was cut down, Garden Valley school was let out early, a local TV station came up from Boise, and the Governor of Idaho (Cecil Andrus, later Secretary of the Interior under Pres. Carter)
were on hand to watch the felling.
Several slices were taken of the trunk and shared with the US Forrest service, Dept of Interior, and Fish and Game. They made a great display with pins stuck in the various locations showing historical events of the year.

 

[sb47]

Hi SB, No disrespect intended, I have only been to Texas once, and I don’t know what your area is like. Oregon is known as being a SOGGY State, much of the Western part IS, but the High Desert of Central Oregon, if a Lawn isn’t watered, it won’t be Lush and Green much of the year. Texas is much larger than Oregon, and I have no doubt that Texas, has many Climatic regions as well.

I do know the are in which John lives well, and to have a lawn look like that there, it does take water.

Stay, Cool,Safe and Healthy
Doug

When people think of Texas they think desert, cacti and rattle snakes.
With over 261,914 square miles we have just about every climate you can think of.
If you google map view Texas you can see where it's green and where it's not.
In my area the average rain fall exceeds 60'' per year with an average of 112 days of rain fall per year.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

When people think of Texas they think desert, cacti and rattle snakes.
With over 261,914 square miles we have just about every climate you can think of.
If you google map view Texas you can see where it's green and where it's not.
In my area the average rain fall exceeds 60'' per year with an average of 112 days of rain fall per year.

SB, exactly, Texas has a huge number of microclimates, as does the western US. I have worked all over Texas, as well as 10 other states, including Alaska, and they all have different climates and ecosystems... but the op is just concerned about his, lol.

John, when you are inspecting and taking pictures, pay attention to any sap runs and also take a pic of a needle cluster if you can, that will help with a positive I'd on the tree... also a pinecone if there are any.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

And all so, you may be better off getting a good landscaper in for local advice, they will be more likely to look at the overall property as far as environmental conditions go, versus a "tree guy" that just sees a nice removal job.

 

[Luithien1]

Here are some photos from the tree:

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Here are some photos from the tree:

Ok, definitely Pinus Nigra, Austrian Pine... and those pitch runs sure look like beetle, probably ips beetle... otherwise it would already be dead... Pretty sure there is a treatment, but it has been awhile... hopefully someone will jump on

 

[TheJollyLogger]

John, I spent some time re-educating myself tonight, I left Colorado in '08.... No doubt in my mind it is beetles, and pretty advanced. Maybe a 5% chance of survival, and that is being generous, looking at the pitch pipes and discoloration of the needles. Problem is, ips beetles have about a 6 week life cycle and about a half mile range. Do you have other pines on your property? Permethrin is somewhat effective as a preventative, but does no good once they are under the bark. Best treatment is removal of the infected tree. The wood should be removed, chipped, or if you want the firewood, solar sterilized, meaning stacked and covered in black plastic to ensure it reaches a temp. of at least 160° Fahrenheit. Sorry bud.

 

[Raintree]

I'm not familiar with pines out west. If that tree was in my neck of the woods I'd be leaning toward a Scotch pine.
From the new pictures, I see pitch mass borer and possible needle cast. Declining pines are a challenge to recover. Still recommend getting professional eyes on your tree.

 

[Jasent]

It’s a large mature lodge lope pine. My property is full of them. Got a few that look identical to that one. It is beatle that’s causing the problems. I’m in eastern Washington

 

[Husky Man]

It’s a large mature lodge lope pine. My property is full of them. Got a few that look identical to that one. It is beatle that’s causing the problems. I’m in eastern Washington

Did you mean Lodgepole Pine?

If so that doesn’t look anything like the Lodgepole that I am used to seeing in Central Oregon. The Lodgepole that I am familiar with, have a much narrower canopy, and a taller, slimmer and straighter trunk, proportioned much more like a Ponderosa than that, but with a very different bark


Doug

 

[TheJollyLogger]

It's an Austrian, the dead giveaway is the radial symmetry on the limbs.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Here are some photos from the tree:

Photo number four is pretty much a dead give away. Beetles have entered tree game over. I have seen many people face the same problem. The only chance that I am aware of is drilling holes in the tree pouring or injecting Permethrin in them. After adding the chemicals to the base of the tree the holes need to be plugged. I have seen the tubes impregnated with chemicals used too but can not say how effective they are. When the needles change color or dry the problem is that section of tree has already died and starved for nutrients. People from that area generally want properties void of trees or that is what it was like when I lived and worked there. Plant some fast growing trees along with a couple of other species that you like knowing you will not have to worry about tree issues for years to come. Thanks

 

[Ted Jenkins]

It’s a large mature lodge lope pine. My property is full of them. Got a few that look identical to that one. It is beatle that’s causing the problems. I’m in eastern Washington

When I worked for the USFS more than forty years ago we had millions of acres of lodge poles that were dying or dead from the beetle infestations. No major forest fires to speak of. Yes there were some burns but they were not just the lodge pole as one would expect. I knew many guys setting up little mills to three side the logs that made beautiful houses and structures. The USFS hired many contractors to pile the logs for future burns that is where I came in with my drip torch and burned away. I remember so many trees that were a hundred and fifty feet tall that were so incredibly straight but just a few feet apart. That process seemed to have an impact because I have not seen the major stand of lodge poles since. Thanks

 

[Jasent]

Lodgepole typically grow nice and straight but if they get damaged young they can take some crazy shapes. My forested property is 90% lodge pole and the rest are ponderosa pine. Most are straight as an arrow. Many of the largest on my property are crazy deformed from snow damage mostly

 

[Luithien1]

Thank you all for your input. I had an arborist out to the property to examine the tree/s. In addition to the 4 pines are two apple, and 8 maples of various types. We spent about an hour examining the trees, and he explained what the various leaf/needle conditions, holes and disturbances in the bark, root structures and other indications meant. Approx. half the trees are in good shape and just need some thinning and shaping. The others have parasites and/or beetle issues.
After his examination, including digging into the sap blobs on the bark, he felt confident that with treatment he would be able to save most if not all of them. In protective gear, he mixed and applied a systemic liquid in a ring around the tree, then soaked it into the ground. Afterwards, using a portable pressure washer with a soft spray nozzle, misted each tree. He stated this was his way of 'tricking' the tree into encouraging the root structure to take in more water and the medicine.

He seemed quite knowledgeable and confident he could save them. Hoping he is correct!

Thanks again,
John

 

[Raintree]

Did he ID the type of pine in question?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I hope there is a new topical treatment for pine beetles, but color me sceptical...