Sap Coming From Pine Tree Usually Not Borers

Readers pine tree

Q. Attached are two photos of a pine tree in my front yard.  On closer examination you will see two open wounds in the upper area of the pine tree.  Unbeknownst to me, these wounds appear to have been in existence for some time judging by the amount of pine sap around them.

            Staff at a local nursery thought the wounds might be related to little insects called borers.  However, rather than slather the wounds with tree dressing or tar, they suggested that I contact someone who was more knowledgeable than they such as the County Extension Service.  I saw your column in the paper and thought perhaps you might be able to help me.

            I did purchase Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed concentrate from the nursery as they recommended sprinkling this powder on the ground extending out to the tree line. Our pine tree is probably 20-25 feet tall and hope it isn't too late to apply some remedial/medical measures to help save it.

A. Borer damage to pines in the landscaped area of the valley is rare but worth checking out. I would pull any loose bark away from the damaged area first. If it is loose, I would want to see what is under it.

            If you the bark pulls away from the tree easily then the area under it is dead. Remove all of the loose bark and see how extensive the dead area, if any, might be. If it extends to a very large area around the circumference of the tree you would most likely see dead branches in the tree which it sounds like you don’t have.

            If there is just sap bubbling to the surface that usually indicates some damage to the wood and it exudes sap as part of the healing process. Leave it alone and let it heal just like we would any open wound we might get. Pines do appreciate an occasional deep watering unless you are doing that now.

            You can tell by looking at the canopy and how dense the canopy is. If the canopy is sparse and you can see through it easily then it is probably not getting enough water to stimulate enough good growth to keep it dense. These large trees require a lot of water, even pines. I hope this helps.