Turf and Plant Health Care

At this time we are seeing natural needle drop on certain evergreens. This is a normal process that occurs every fall on 2-4 year old interior needles. The needles will turn brown then drop.

White pine show the most dramatic interior needle drop on 2-3 year old needles. Austrian and Scots pine drop their 3 year old interior needles and red pine drop their 4 year old interior needles. Spruce and fir needles change and drop but are not noticeable. Arborvitaes shed interior branchlets rather than needles which usually turn brown as they age and remain on the tree for quite some time before falling.

Now is a good time to spray evergreens and broadleaf evergreens with an anti-dessicant solution to help reduce winter burn/browning from the intense winter sun and harsh winter winds.

The product we use is a wax emulsion concentrate that when applied to needles or leaves dries to a thin, transparent flexible waxy layer. The application will hold moisture in the needles or leaves and reduce transpiration keeping trees and shrubs greener and healthier over the winter.

Best time to spray is from mid fall to early or late winter. Temperatures must be above 39 degrees F.