Hemlocks dying
 

Over the last few years we have lost about 6 adult hemlocks at our place in Meredith......branch by branch they turn brown and the needles drop off. Some are near the road, others next to a small brook and none by the lake, thankfully....no rhyme or reason to it and it doesn't seem to be insects.
Anyone else having this problem? Does anyone know a local arborist or a forestor.
Tried UNH last year and didn't get any answer. Thanks

SAMIAM, are you noticing any sound coming from the tree.

If you take you index finger and thumb and make a pinching motion on a pair of jeans allowing your finger nails to contact the jeans, it will make a sound that is very similar to the sound of a wood devouring insect or grub.

There is a particular insect that when it attacks an evergreen, it causes exactly what you describe. I do not want to mention it as it would be truely a sad day if they have made it here.

If you cannot get someone, give these guys a call, they have a location in Meredith. http://www.chippersinc.com/ They have some extremelely knowledable folks on the payroll and truely care about keeping trees healthy.

You may want to check for white powder like substance sticking to the needles. Could be a fungus called woolly adelgid ( not sure on the spelling). This disease attacks evergreens and must be treated with a systemic poison, that is mixed with water and watered into the roots.

I certainly hope not as this would not bode well for the forested landscape of central NH.

This is an invasive insect from eastern Asia. It's been on the radar screen of foresters and arborists for awhile.

What you'd see on the underside of a branch:
http://www.vermontagriculture.com/AR.../hwadelgid.jpg

Detail of the dreaded adelgid itself:
http://www.chattoogariver.org/conten...images/HWA.jpg

http://www.njarboristsisa.com/img/hemlockwoolly_map.jpg

If you find evidence of an adelgid colony, contact the UNH Co-op and let them know what you see.

Hopefully, what you are seeing is the result of an isolated stressor such as road salt or a localized trauma.

Actually, it's been stateside since the 20s, making landfall from the Orient in the PNW and slowly heading east. They had a bad blight of it in PA, akin to what emerald ash borer is doing to ash trees in IN, Mich., and elsewhere in the Midwest.

I seem to recall hearing that the wooley adelgid may have reached the northernmost extreme in S. New England. But sometimes my memories get twisted with strains of wishful thinking.

We have had a hemlock privacy fence between the next door neighbors and ourselves. Sad to say this year there seem to be such a number of branches that are now just brown thin sticks with all of the green gone. Now one sees through the trees and the fear is that they will loose all of their needles. Please keep us informed as to what could be doing this as it even seems that some other trees may have some of the problem but maybe not as severe? It could be just winter kill in the arbs I guess. The hemlocks are definitely sick. Don't know what to do so want to find out the cause although fear it may be too late to save them. Feel really awful about this. Planted some from seedlings that were found all around the lot and they had done well in making a nice privacy wall.

I stand corrected. Not a fungus but some kind of insect. Either way it is not good. Down here in CT it attacked many hemlocks six of which I had on my property but early detection and action saved them. As I recall the treatment was a little expensive, but certainly something homeowners can do themselves.

Hemlock Borer
 

Courtney Kelly of Arbor Tech- Removed 3 large hemlocks from our property in Alton. All three trees over the past year started to look thin. We came up in March and 1 tree had thousands of wood pecker holes was clearly dead and the 2 others looks to be in poor health. Court mentioned that the woolly adelgid had infected some trees in Alton last year but they were all removed. He thought the tree had a bug called the hemlock borer. He was correct as I contacted the New Hampshire Forestery Dept. whom surveyed our property and reported back to us that the trees were infected with the hemlock borer and the trees needed to be removed. Once the forest dept found out that we resided in Worcester they were up at our property the next day.

I would recommend Arbor Tech anyday. Looks like I never had trees taken down as I was expecting some lawn damage and some sawdust piles.

Same here, Lucky....some of our adult trees are just skeletons. Over the years we have cut most of the hard wood and left only the hemlocks because we like them. We've pruned the smaller ones so that they get very thick like shrubs and make great privacy. I don't see any sign of insects. I'll keep you posted if I can find out what the problem is.
Thanks, everyone for the suggestions....I'll follow them up.

You can't see them little buggers. But they are there. We had a tree company (Bartlett Tree) come last fall and they not only sprayed but thinned out the dead branches and the trees look marvelous this year. We lost one of the Hemlocks and had to cut it down.
They told us we need to spray twice a year, but we only did it last fall. I wish I would called sooner and maybe it would have saved the tree we cut down.

So As I read this thread something came to mind. Hemlocks don't live forever. As far as evergreens go they are a beautiful looking try especially in the winter. However they are a species that don't live forever. I have a few on my property that I am considering taking down. Not because there sick, or old... but because they have lived there course. they are no longer growing with any vigor. I have new growth coming up in the vicinity, and removing the older trees will allow the younger ones a chance to grow.

Now of course I have kept my lot fairly wooded. I realize some people have not. But one of the reasons I do, is because, trees have a life cycle.... the forest has a life cycle. It is very interesting to watch.

Besides with all the new rules in place, as I keep the new trees growing and selectively harvest the older ones when it is time for them to go. I don't get complaints, when go to get them removed. As I was told the last time... it to bad more people haven't kept more trees on there lots so that harvesting a tree once every two or three years isn't a big deal.

Does this look familiar?
 

I am attaching a picture of one of my hemlocks that sits next to the water. Sorry for the photo quality, but note the dead branches at the top and the lack of foliage on the ends of some of the side branches. Does this look familiar to any of you who have had hemlock problems? It has looked like this for at least the last three years - getting no better or worse. I haven't had anyone out to look at it yet but was just wondering whether any of you had a similar-looking problem.

Attachment 3778

Of What You Plant and Leave...Be Careful...
 

Unless you need a "privacy hedge", I would discourage Hemlocks altogether. :eek:

Biological diversity of species on your lot is important. If, through disease or wood-borer, I lost every Hemlock, my lot would be a very empty lot indeed.

Oversized Hemlocks are all that remain here by the lake's edge. :( Because Hemlocks leave a very fragile mat of "duff" (that is easily washed into the lake), I've encouraged every new White Pine tree that "volunteers". (Even fencing them against our local "rampaging" beavers).

If you are building on a new lot, check the DES "tree inventory" for your lot: of a dozen lots near me, each has one cedar and one hickory—and not one more. (New Hampshire's purest lakes are surrounded by mature Pine trees—which are disappearing rapidly).

I've done the same "Hemlock hedge privacy thing" long before any McMansion structure was to appear next door.

It's normal for small hemlocks to lose lower branches—especially where there is little sun available. Though small Hemlocks can thrive under large Hemlocks, what kills small hemlocks is shade produced by large trees (such as maples) and shade from new structures.

The new builders left a few large trees without effect, but what is really killing them off is a new stream that appeared between our properties :eek2: the smaller Hemlocks aren't growing, and the taller Hemlocks have been blown over. Without assurance of rooting in solid ground, it would be a mistake IMO to wire them back-upright.

Check that your privacy Hemlocks are getting good sun all year (You may have to cut down a mature tree)—and check that their roots aren't too wet.

Good luck, and keep us "posted".

:look:

Yup, Long Pine, that's it. I think we have the same problem that Lakesrider speaks of....hemlock borers. I am in contact with the NH Forestry dept and am sending them pictures of the trees. They plan to follow up with a visit next week so we should finally get an answer.

Thanks SAMIAM, I would be very interested in what Forestry says about confirmation of the problem and any potential remedies. I had been lulled into complacency because this tree didn't seem to be getting any worse and I have not seen the same problem on other hemlocks on my property. Better safe than sorry though, so would appreciate you posting what you learn - I would hate to lose this tree or any of my other hemlocks. Many thanks.

Acres per Second: Unless you need a "privacy hedge", I would discourage Hemlocks altogether. :eek:

Why?

Oh Boy, Do I Have Hemlocks!!!
 

Hemlocks grow quickly and, except for other hemlocks, shade out anything growing beneath them. (Shading the understory of growth).

As indicated by wide growth-rings, their fast growth may account for their being not particularly strong against wind damage.

As an example, a squall tore the top 20-feet off two medium-sized hemlocks along my shoreline. Nobody happened to be endangered at the time, but both tops made deep depressions in the soil. (Tipped off, Winnipesaukee Diver did a "cruise-by"—and nodded an appreciative expression of awe).

No other tree species was affected.

Both Hemlocks were under 20" diameter—both died as a result—and would have required an expensive shoreline disposal. One posing the least hazard remains dead—but upright, :look: 'cuz I like the many visits by Pileated Woodpeckers :) .

Hemlock needles are tiny—offer a poor rooting medium for other trees and offer little against shoreline erosion. As they are easily washed into the lake, they contribute "nutrients" that favor algae growth—subsequent browsing by snails—and ultimately the dreaded "Duck Itch". :eek2:

White Pine needles interlock on the ground, making a firm, long-lasting mat against run-off and perform an effective erosion barrier. (And smell nice when warmed by the morning sun). :)

Pines are the first to recover in woodlands after forest fires. (Fires that Humanity has brought to an effective halt). White Pines likely were dominant around the Lakes Regions' shorelines since the time of the glaciers. My guess is that our lakes had a much higher water purity/clarity before Hemlocks eventually replaced those Pines that have been trucked away. (Over decades of time).

Unfortunately, White/Red Pines are valuable building woods (and fuel): Pines' centuries-old trunks predominate on this region's logging trucks. :(

On the practical side of things, the Eastern Hemlock isn't "valuable" for very much at all. :rolleye1:

As wood-stove material, Hemlock will smolder. One log will keep the firebox suitably warm overnight 'til morning.

Pine sticks and cones are great fire-starters—substitute them for charcoal "starter fluid"—to help rid us of a fossil-fuel derivative. ;)

Eastern Hemlocks have been experiencing adelgid and wood borer die-offs for some time. I recall the adelgid was observed in Portsmouth several years ago.

:confused:

What was the question? :o

I prefer hemlock to pine. Both are soft wood and not much good for burning except as kindling but pine trees drop pitch all over everything.....not much fun to get off your vehicle and even worse when your pets track it in. Also, in the spring pine pollen covers our bay from one end to the other and leaves a long yellow slick on the shoreline. Pines grow so tall that they are no good for privacy and the crowns grow so large that they block the sun for very large areas in your yard or garden.
I gradually got rid of most of my pines over the years (thankfully before the shoreline protection act) and kept all of the hemlocks. We trim them and they are lush and thick all the way to the ground in some cases. If you start when they are small 6' to 8' and trim them, they grow like a hedge....excellent privacy screen and nice all year round. I find them to be pretty hardy...only lost one or two over the years.

The Eastern Hemlock and Canadian Hemlock both like cooler environments to grow in. They generally fail in warmer urbanized areas. They also tend to begin to decline in areas where the soil has been disturbed heavily. Hemlock trees are vulnerable to Wooly adelgids, scale and spider mites. Older trees that are in decline (die back) are vulnerable to bark beetle infestations and borers. Generally the beetles and borers are the final blow to an infested hemlock, causing them to die completely. If you look at the trunk of the suspect tree, you may see tiny holes and saw dust on the bark or upper sides of the branches. The borers and beetles dig into the conductive tissues and creat feeding galleries under the bark, these galleries cut off the pipe line from the roots to the shoots. BUT, generally speaking these insects like to attack unhealthy trees first.
Trees that were originally growing in wooded areas that in recent years have been developed are stressed from the disruption in their growing environment. This stress makes them unhealthy. These trees take a few years to show stress signs making it almost impossible to save them as it may be too late to take action. Should you fertilize them?
Fertilizing Hemlocks with nitrogen based fertilizers is not reccommened because the new growth the fertilizer makes is food for the bad insects to feed on. We use a organic sea kelp based fertilizer with high iron content. We also will spray the trees with horticultural oil in the fall and the spring to control adelgids, scale and mites. They key to a happy Hemlock is to minimize soil disruption within the root system, irrigate them when possible in droughts, just enough to maintain plant hydration. Most importantly, get rid of trees that will be hosts of the beetles and borers.

Well as to the white pines......................one fell from a neighbor's lot and crashed into my garage roof. It was dead so it broke as it hit the garage and did not do a lot of damage. It did puncture the roof and damage one wall. Another pine was struck by lightening and eventually died and had to be taken down. A neighbor to the other side of us has had to cut back his roof overhang to accomodate the the HUGE white pine near his home. It it ever falls it will demolish this tiny home.

Guttters clog with the needles etc etc. Someone has already mentioned the pine sap and pollen etc. We love Hemlocks and were recently told that they need more water for the roots in dry periods. Hemlocks do like water. They also seem to have a shorter life span than trees like pines. They were planted too close to one another. However, they provide privacy and grow fast. We are starting to add different tree varieties. Arbs grow so slowly and deer love them! What are some good species of trees that are good for privacy? There are rhodos in one area where only people walking by privacy is needed. Shrubs can be trimmed so that is good. Rhodos do not block houses though!

Just wanted to follow up for anyone concerned about their tress. I've had two arborists examine the damaged hemlocks and the news is good.There is no sign of insect damage or disease in any of them.Our road was paved about three years ago and there was some damage to the roots.Others,,away from the road had other issues....mostly just natural causes.

White Pines Good for the Lake...Hemlocks Bad...
 

That yellow pine pollen is suspended throughout the top three feet of Lake Winnipesaukee's surface waters: "Bed-fisherman" can't get strikes from nesting Smallmouth Bass if the bass can't see the lure. :look:

An attack of pine pitch isn't TEOTWAWKI: Just apply WD-40 or turpentine:

http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?s...11&#entry60611

If you drive Rt 16 at all, you'll see roadside vendors of "camp firewood"—which is mostly White Pine. (It does burn satisfyingly-hot). :)

One Hemlock log keeps a woodstove "comfy" overnight.

I do like Hemlocks as a privacy hedge: what isn't to like is:

1) Know of anyone trucking-in hemlock needles for ground cover? :rolleye2:

2) Know of anyone advertising their cottage that is "nestled in Hemlocks"?

3) Ever seen shorelines that are severely eroding due to Hemlock needle "duff"?

4) Ever heard "Whispering Hemlocks"?

5) Ever seen "Cathedral Hemlocks"?

6) Did Henry David Thoreau write of Hemlocks?

7) Can New Hampshire learn from Minnesota?

8) Or even Massachusetts?

http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/17...600x600Q85.jpg

:look:

Several nights I took a hose to the root areas of the Hemlocks and it seems to have worked! Some have much more new growth. When it rains, the roots may not get much water as the upper branches block it. It seems to have been very dry this season after all of the water we previously had this year. We are very encouraged with this new growth and hope the Hemlocks will continue to thrive and provide some privacy.

Try watering the root areas. Who knew that mature trees had to be watered?

It's definitely been dry, but in your case it's likely just a coincidence. Hemlocks are one of the last trees to begin spring growth and this is when they normally get growing.

I'm surrounded by lots of them and the soft, tender new growth is just starting and maybe an inch long.

The people who came out suggested that it was usually a root problem when there were the brown shoots with no green at all on them? They have now begun to get the growth back. There was new growth on the trees when they came but they orangy brown bare places were causing sight through the thinner trees. That is what has come back now.

However, another person said it looked like porcupines had been eating the hemlocks? He was someone who does work at a neighbor's home. That damage seems to be filing in. No idea but happy to have the trees in better shape. Thanks for the information.

I noticed tonight on the way home, down RT109 that a majority of the Pines along the roadside are turning brown. Not just one or two either. I would say over 60% of them are brown or going brown.....The rain has not helped them out. :(

We noticed the same exact thing with the pines! We have been talking about it for a couple of days. I know there is a pine disease which might strike one tree but not the one next to it. We lost a huge one to it a couple of years ago. But you are right, so many of them are brown this spring that we are wondering if it is this or something else. If it is that disease we are going to lose a lot of pine trees!!

I think (and hope) it's just lack of rain and not disease. From what I notice on my property, areas/branches of our pine trees that get direct sun are turning brown and shedding needles. The trees that are mostly shaded look fine.

Woolly Adelgid
 

I've dug up a few of the smaller hemlocks and brought them home. They transplanted well and are now about 4 feet tall. I noticed yesterday that one has significantly fewer new "buds" than the other and upon closer inspection, yup...you guessed it...Woolley Adelgid.

Has anyone had any luck spraying them with Talstar?..or know of another treatment option that I could do myself? (short of calling a tree company?)

My husband used to be in the tree and shrub business down in Mass. He says that Talstar doesn't really work, and that the trees really need to be sprayed with horticultural oil before the temperature reaches 50 degrees. It should have been done in early spring, so it's probably too late now. But he says that it should be done again in the fall when the temperature is consistently around 40 degrees.

UNH Agriculture Dept
 

Always contact UNH whenever you have any questions about plants. They are the most knowledgeble folks in the business. They also gather all informations and create statistical studies.

I second that!
 

Being in the business of trees, I have used the UNH Cooperative extension offices many times in order to gain answers to the unexplained.

I have taken down better then a hundred of these declining hemlocks in the recent years. I have been able to find the reason for each of their demise. Sometimes it is as simple as soil compaction or construction stress or as complex as changes in soil hydrology or insect infestation.

One important thing to note: If the trees you are thinking are dead are in a location that has limited equipment access, it is important to get someone to look at them sooner rather then later. Once the trees are to compromised to climb safely (if need be), the job only gets harder.

Reguardless, the county forester is a great source of information. The Belknap county forester is Andy Fast and he is based out of Laconia.

ArborTech
Our place on Rattlesnake is Hemlock heaven. When we counted the rings on one we lost a few years ago it was about a hundred years old. Watching the small ones grow over the last 8 years, we notice that they grow very slow.

Is there anything we could do pro-actively to help them be more disease and bug tolerant?

We can't imagine what the lot would be like without the giants.

Hemlock preservation
 

I can really appreciate those stately older trees that are around the lake. They've certainly been through alot. As for preserving their health, pruning out any dead, diseased or damaged limbs (from top to bottom) will improve the trees overall health. There are many measures that tree companies can provide (structural pruning, cabling, fertilizing, etc.) in order to maintain the trees, but as for the home/landowner the practices may be limited.

-Avoid having heavy equipment consistently passing over the root systems of the trees. Soil compaction eliminates oxygen in the soil. I see this alot around the lake.

-Prevent redirection of surface or ground water. This often happens when new culverts or drainage ditches are installed. However, leach fields, dry wells, and perimeter drains can contribute to this problem as well.

-If you have construction done on your property, don't let trees get soil mounded up around the base (backfilled to high) or have the bark scraped off the bottom. This will cause almost certain decline.

-At all costs....don't girdle the tree with chain, rope, cable or anything else! I run into this at least once a week working around the lake. People use the trees to hold up their docks, swings and numerous other things. This will certainly kill the tree eventually. There are other noninvasive ways to do this.


These are just a few things you can do to help the trees on your property. Pests and insects are hard to combat without outside help. Pruning is always an affordable option to improve the health of your trees.

"Re-Visiting Hemlocks"...
 

I liked revisiting this thread, and was wondering how everyone's White Pine and Eastern Hemlock finished—going into Autumn. (?)

My Eastern Hemlock privacy hedge is growing very well in the deep shade of various adult trees. The ground is quite wet there, due to a rechanneling of runoff by the new McMansion. One Hemlock became partially uprooted, but continues to spread its branches while growing at a 45-degree angle. :eek2:

The neighbor's 2nd-floor porch—inexplicably "aimed" in our direction—may be completely hidden by next year: by New England standards, that's excellent growth, as only five years were needed! :look:

This season, I managed to trap two Eastern Hemlock "needles" in a tight area of clothing. Both produced a highly-localized rash—no bigger than the "needle" itself—and painful to the touch. :(

Others may experience a similar rash due to whatever toxin is in the Eastern Hemlock "needle". :confused:

That looks exactly like mine. I had Courtney take some simiar ones down last year. He did an excellent job and I had two more that I thought we could save. It does not look like they are going to make it through the winter and will have to go next year. I planted 16 new spruce and aside from deer damage they are doing fine.

HWA - Confirmed
 

I just finished a job today on one of the islands and sadly, I found a stand of hemlocks suffering from the hemlock wooly adelgid. I removed one dead tree and while in the top of it, I saw others that were declining as well.

I am in touch with the county forester. I'll keep you updated as to what his plans are.

success!!
 

Sprayed the trees with this oil stuff (available at your local hardware store) in the Spring and again recently when the temps dropped into the 40s at night and...it seems to have worked!!!!

Cort;

Was this at my place??

Dan

Not on Welch
 

It was another Island all together Dan

Wooley Adelgids treatment
 

We have been listening to Paul Parent who has a call-in gardening radio show for many years out of Maine. After I read this thread I realized that he would be familiar with hemlock issues. This is from his weekly newsletter that he sends out for free to those who sign up. This is from an August, 2011 issue:

"If you have Canadian hemlock growing on your property, this is the time to examine the foliage of the plant for possible insect problems called wooly adelgids. The insect is most active in the early spring and again in the fall of the year. Look for the insect on the tips of the plant where the new growth was made during the summer months. The adelgids will be on the underside of the foliage in clusters, and they will resemble small dots of cotton attached to the foliage. This insect is sucking the energy from the plant's blood stream and also laying eggs that will hatch in the weeks to come. As the eggs hatch, they will move up the plant and feed on new branches killing them and repeating the process in the spring until the tree has died.

As a home owner it is not always possible to spray your trees, especially if they are tall and large. The best and most effective way to treat this plant is with a "systemic" product that will move up the plant protecting it from top to bottom without spraying the entire tree. Bayer Advanced has developed such a product called "Tree and Shrub." All you have to do is mix the product the product with water and pour it around the base of the tree. In a couple of weeks the tree will move the product out of the ground and take it to the top of the tree and to all of the branches, protecting it from this problem for 12 months. Your local garden center will have this product or a similar product made by Ortho, Bonide, or Ferti-Lome at their store for you to use. Be sure to read the directions before using, so the product will work effectively for you and control this insect pest."

I have used the Bayer Tree & Shrub on a hydrangea that had some sort of borer with great results. Lowes and HomeDepot carry it.

Also, here is the link to Paul Parents website which lists his contact information. His radio show is every Sunday from 6-10 am (stations are listed on his site http://www.paulparent.com/). You don't have to wait too long to get on air and ask a question. I would urge anyone who has any type of gardening/landscaping question to call in. This guy really knows his stuff.

He does. He is amazing. I think he is the most knowledgable garden expert I have ever heard.

Is it toxic
 

Sounds like it might be toxic to water supply. How far from lakeside do you need to be.

Thank you