thanks for the info Ken and bunkers. The top of my Vanderwolf is all green, in fact most of it is. Thanks very much "ken_adrian for the link! I've never seen so much as a brown needle on the Vanderwolf so it's shocking to see bright yellow all-of-a-sudden. The yellow needles do match my gingko leaves though ;-)

no plant works that fast .. lol .. unless you drilled holes directly into the trunk and pounded the spikes right into the tree .. though, of course... that is NOT recommended.. lol ... its like i knew you were out there worrying when i did the other post.. i hope you visit it ... at the link from resin ... all that aside ... it is my opinion .. and many others here that fert spikes are a waste of money .. and unless a soil test indicates something lacking in your soil .. trees just do NOT need fert .. try the SEARCH function at the top of the forum and try typing in fertilizer spikes or some such thing .... your trees feeder roots are probably 25 to 50 feet out from that tree ... consider the odds that you pounded a spike anywhere near one ... its my position .. argued by others.. that if you are fert'g that beautiful green lawn .. or even just leaving the mowed grass there.. those trees just do NOT need food ... IMHO .. save the money to spend on more conifers... good luck ken

I have a wonderful contorted pine in my front garden. One of the unique things I found is it's needles brown & drop off twice a year - not all, just some of them. In the early spring & then again in the fall. It isn't dead - this is just a natural trait for this specific evergreen. It's a conversation piece in my community - most people here have never seen them before. We love it! We keep the needles raked up because they have a tendency to change the PH of your garden soil for other flowers, etc. We too thought it was dying but it is more beautiful when the brown disappears. Take heart & enjoy it! Regards, Pat

TreeFolks and the Texas Forest Service actually give out Bastrop-sourced loblolly pines. However, there's no way to know whether the larger trees you bought from nurseries are Bastrop-sourced, or if the seeds they grew from were collected elsewhere in the Loblolly pine's range (ie. Virginia, Florida, Alabama or Louisiana). Bastrop is on the westernmost edge of the species' range, and and plants from other sources will simply turn yellow and wither in the heat and frequent droughts (not to mention soil differences, too). Unfortunately, there is no commercial dealer of Bastrop-sourced seeds other than TreeFolks and the Texas Forest Service. I suggest you contact them. You can also try collecting seeds yourself from the unburnt trees in your area and growing them for one or two years in containers. Or if you're really passionate, you can start a seed orchard of this very special sub-population and sell the seeds/seedlings yourself.