Root Rot on Pines?

 Q. I have several very large pine trees that have been in ground since 2002. Due to heavy winds, one was felled, and the trunk broke. Upon inspection, it looked like root rot! Can you advise how much water these trees need in winter and summer. I want to be sure the see does not happen to others.

A. Make sure the trees have water applied to a wide area, equal to about half the spread of their canopies. Tree roots follow applied water in the desert. Pine trees are relatively deep rooted. For this reason, apply water to them deeply. However, if the soil is hard, and the water applied too rapidly, the water may begin puddling and the tree can blow over easily. Watering plants in the desert tells them where you want their roots to grow.

The roots of any large tree near a wall is a "recipe for disaster". This large pine tree eventually heaved this wall when the roots "grew looking for water". The roots heaved the wall.

The other problem is watering. If they are given small drinks of water frequently (think planting in lawns) they develop roots that are shallow and will not hold them upright during strong winds. 

When planting pine trees it may be a good idea to plant other smaller shrubs around its canopy. Pine tree roots will grow where the shrubs area as well and help support it. Unless you know what you are doing, it may be a bad idea to have a pine tree planted all by itself surrounded by desert soil that is not irrigated. These trees will blow over. 

Place plants around the pine tree that are throughout its canopy as it grows larger. Putting irrigated shrubs around pine trees helps the pine tree roots to grow into the surrounding soil and become more firmly anchored. It is not something mystical about the surrounding plants. It is because these plants are irrigated, and they share water with the pine trees.