When the conifer turns brown, there are many possible causes. It is often difficult to find out which it actually is. In some years, however, it is often caused by pests such as the leaf miner or the bark beetle, which appear particularly after dry phases.
If the needles turn brown, quick action is required
The most common causes
Even if the affected conifer looks badly damaged, you should not immediately grab the saw. Firstly, many conifers do not grow back in the desired place after pruning, leaving holes and secondly, the trees often recover within a few years. Since the needles fall off anyway after a few years and are regenerated, the tree can even turn green again.
dryness
Drought, especially a prolonged drought, is one of the most common causes of coniferous trees turning brown. In particular, if the root ball dries out, it can be dangerous for the tree. Endangered specimens should be watered thoroughly.
waterlogging
However, do not reach for the water hose too quickly, because waterlogging can also cause tanning. For example, if the tree is in compacted soil where water cannot drain away, the roots can begin to rot due to the high humidity. At the first signs, you should subsequently lay a drainage and loosen the soil thoroughly.
High pollution level
Compared to deciduous trees, conifers are very sensitive to pollutants in the air. Since they do not shed their needles every year, they store the pollutants in them and literally poison themselves. Incidentally, a similar phenomenon occurs when hedges bordering roads and sidewalks in particular suddenly turn brown: road salt was probably applied here in winter, which the plants absorb through their roots and cannot tolerate.
Diseases / Pests
A heavy infestation with pests such as the leaf miner, the bark beetle or plant lice also causes the affected conifers to turn brown in some years. Only careful treatment and a lot of patience will help here.
tips
If the potted tree you just bought seems to be drying up, you can only save it in rare cases: such a coniferous tree has lost a large part of its fine roots and is therefore no longer able to absorb sufficient moisture. The reason is the ruthless cutting out and potting of these trees, which are then offered cheaply in discounters and hardware stores.