Question
QUESTION: I have a very tall pine tree that since I purchased the property 4 years ago has had a bulge in its trunk I took to be normal (never having owned a pine tree before). The tree has not otherwise drawn my attention to it until this past late spring when a more than normal amount of browning branches appeared. The bulge has possibly grown and milky yellow sap does appear from various areas on and around this area. The tree now appears to have a great deal of browning branches/needles up through the center area of branches and from above the bulge on up (roughly 5' off ground)bark appears rusty in color. Tree is right next to another whose trunk is normal but is showing some browning up through middle branches. None show signs of any boring insects, etc. that I can discern. Both are within a small fenced dog yard and so any remedy would need to be safe for my dog. Help! And thanks!

ANSWER: The swelling sounds like a disease called Fusiform rust. It has nothing to do with the needles turning brown. The gall on the trunk started when the tree was the height of the gall. The fungi enters through the needles and into the branch or trunk. It will not kill the tree. Large trees will out grow the gall and about all that is left is the swelling. There are insects that will bore into the gall since the wood is not as hard as the other wood. The sap is an indication of these insects. The gall can be sprayed with an insecticide called Merit that will kill the insects in the gall. It is safe to use around animals as long as you do not directly spray the animal.

The needle drop of interior needles is normal. Pines have two sets of needle on them at one time. as new growth starts the older set will turn brown and drop off. As long as the needles on the ends of the branches are green there is no problem.

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QUESTION: Thanks so much! This quick follow-up should answer all my worries: The very lowest branches (only) ARE brown to their ends and the interior browning is quite significant - but, is that still within the realm of normal? Also, is the rust-colored trunk not a problem?

Answer
The lower limbs of pines will shed as the tree self prunes and the interior browning of the needles is normal. Fusiform rust galls will produce spores that are rust colored--these spores will infect an oak tree and the fungus on the oak leaves will produce spores that can reinfect pines. All rust type fungi need two hosts to complete their life cycle. Do not worry about all this it is not a health problem to the trees.