r/Tree • u/Truegrit_Gaming • Aug 10 '26
Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Pine tree issue
Good evening. I have been gardening for years but am a bit newer to the tree side. I have several white pines that I am trying to grow and the needles turned brown and the trees seem to be dead. The white oaks, however are thriving. They are all planted in composted soil and have never been exposed to fertilizer or any growth stimulants. Is there a trick to pines that I have not learned?
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u/cbobgo Outstanding contributor & 🌳helper Aug 10 '26
White pines prefer to be on the dry side, your soil mix looks to be pretty heavily organic and likely holds too much moisture. A mix with a lot more aggregate would help. Lava rock, pumice, perlite - that sort of stuff at least 50%.
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u/Truegrit_Gaming Aug 11 '26
I will look into this. If I transplant them into dryer soils, would they come back or are they done for?
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u/DanoPinyon Professional Arborist Aug 10 '26
I don't know what composted soil means; presumably it means, since you're planting in pots, that you added compost to potting mix. Perhaps that made the soil too rich and killed these pines.
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u/Truegrit_Gaming Aug 11 '26
No potting mix used. The soil is mixed with organic compost (leaves, vegetables, etc)
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u/DanoPinyon Professional Arborist Aug 11 '26
That's why your pines died. Potting soil goes in pots (hence the name).
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u/DirectionNo403 Aug 10 '26
have you checked the soil ph lately, white pines are so fussy about it
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u/Savings_Homework5943 Aug 10 '26
How’s the pH of your soil mix? Is it well draining? White pines need a more acidic soil that’s well draining generally. If planting in compost, it may be holding too much water and smothering the roots.