I take some pics and to to the local nursery. How long did you flood the area before starting?
The 2500 sounds real steep to me. I check online and they are between 50 for seedling and 3-400

Aren't they the bonzi trees?

I wouldn't be too worried unless you sat there and soaked the thing. It would have burned up right infront of ya anyway. Head to a local place that sells them and see if they are having any issues with beetles or larvae in pine and high resin trees. The pine beetle has desimated half of our country in the past 5 years.

What do all of the other plants and trees look like, is there another japanese pine or any other pine tree on the property? Check them out real close and knock on the trees but bee careful. He could have a bees nest in there or ither insects like beetles could be boaring out tunnels all through the thing if it sounds hollow. Look for dead leaves/grass around this tree. Anything that would have died if you hit it and might still be there.

Don't waste your money on an arborist yet but call one on your way and ask for more info. Sometimes these things can kill a tree in 2 or 3 weeks, So hop on your horse and get over there now and save this guy $2,500 or more because you are a roof cleaner dammit and thats what roof cleaners do!

Then tell the guy you know an arborist(whom you just talked to) but he doesn't have any time to waste and give him his number then ride off into the sunset and be proud because you did the right thing and made your company look awesome in the process and you made $100 because you told the tree guy to throw you a finders fee for getting him the job and making up for your travel time.

-The end

Iannacchione wrote:

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So I get a call today from a customer who we sprayed about a month ago.  He tells me that he wants me to come out and look at his "dieing" Japanese pine, which has brown needles on it.  He just happened to mention that it is eight years old and is roughly $2500. 

Should I replace the thing?
Ask him to get an arborist to confirm that it is dead and that we caused it?
Tell him that it may be temporary browning and will come back to life?
or just jump over a bridge now?

How have you guys handled these things in the past.

 

Thank you,

Brad

 

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Brad,

It appears there are numerous things that can damage and or kill this pine.  Here is a section from an article by Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories out of Charlotte, NC:

"Japanese black pine was thought to be relatively pest resistant, however, there have been major losses in some areas due to a decline syndrome. This syndrome is often started by problems with the root system or the root collar. Root problems can be caused by soil borne, root feeding nematodes. Root knot and stunt nematodes have both been identified on trees with the syndrome. Root collar problems start with the accumulation of soil or mulch against the lower trunk. This can occur due to deep planting, wind blown sand or improper mulching. These materials can hold moisture against the trunk which either damages the trunk directly or provides a favorable environment for infection of Leptographium or other fungal pathogens.

Symptoms of root and root collar problems become more obvious after drought years and after severe winters. Restriction they cause in the uptake or movement of water often lead to branch dieback. It is these weak or dying branches that are then attacked by the weak pathogen Cenangium ferruginosum.

Turpentine beetles are also attracted to weakened trees.    These beetles feed in the inner bark and cambium interrupting the flow of nutrients and water. They also carry the blue stain fungus which will block the flow of water in the tree.

Symptoms of the turpentine beetle include pitch tubes on the lower stem. The blue stain fungus can only be seen in wood cross sections where it imparts a blue
color to the wood. In areas where decline is widdespread, turpentine beetle populations reach levels where healthy trees are attacked and killed.

The death of needles on Japanese black pine can be caused by the needle cast fungi Lophodermium, Mycosphaerella, Ploioderma, or Rhizosphaeria. Needlecast is more severe the summer following a wet year on trees in the shade or very dense trees which do not dry readily. Symptoms usually begin as yellowing and dropping of the interior needles. Pinewood nematodes can rapidly kill Japanese black pine. These microscopic worms are transmitted by the pine sawyer beetle from infected to healthy trees. Infected sawyers feed on the branches of healthy trees, inoculating them with the nematode. Trees often wilt rapidly during warm dry periods.

Japanese black pine are attacked by numerous insects. Sawflies will cause partial defoliation by feeding in groups on needles.    The Nantucket pine tip moth, Zimmerman pine moth and European pine shoot moth feed on growing twigs, causing a tip dieback and misshapen growth. These insects cause symptoms which are very similar to tip blight disease. A few scale insects feed on the bark and needles. The pine needle scale can cover needles giving them a white appearance."

 

-- Edited by Markus on Thursday 17th of June 2010 04:56:09 PM

Thank you all.

All greatly appreciated. I just talked to my insurance agent. My deductable is $500. My thought though is that the tree may not be dead and has some temporary discoloration.

I agree with the other comments about not taking a month.  I took my ground guy out behind my house and I sprayed a little solution on a maple tree in the woods and on some other plants.  The next day I took him out and showed him the tree, it had brown leaves on it in 24 hours or less.  The brush was also dead in 24 hours.

but know that i think abought it if u were puddling sh with in 3 ft of its root system it would take 30 to 90 days to for an 8 year old plant of that sort to show the sighns of death.

yes dont admit nothing kill him with paper

Yeah,

Lots of rain here in the 'burgh lately. You are right on the money, it was a referral from a big pressure washing co here. They pobably knew that this guy would be a pain in the neck.

I am going to do what Scott mentioned and try to snap a branch off. If it doesnt snap, I will tell the customer that the plant is just in shock, we see this from time to time, and it will return to life, just give it some time.

If there is still green foliage and the branches aren't brittle and peeling then the tree is still alive and probably will recover.  It will just take some time though.  Hope everything works out bro!