Evergreens Losing Needles

As time marches on and 2009 comes to a close, you may notice some suspicious activity on your evergreens. The inner needles will yellow and fall off. This is...wait for it...normal.

It is sometimes referred to as "3-year needle drop" implying that the 3-year-old needles are the ones yellowing and dropping off. This is a misnomer, as it is just as common for trees to lose their two-year-old or even four or five-year-old needles, depending on the species.

Bottom line: Unless the needles at the tip of the branches are yellowing or browning, it is highly likely that your tree is just doing it's thing, and there is not cause for concern.