White pine needle loss no cause for worry

Ipurchased a home in Evanston this spring. It has a beautiful planting of white pines around the patio. The trees seem to be losing a lot of needles, and I am worried about the health of the trees. What can I do to help the trees?

— Beth Jones, Evanston

I visited a friend in Evanston last weekend whose home had several white pines. His white pines were also dropping lots of needles, leaving an attractive pine needle mulch on the beds under the trees. I really like white pines, but I hesitate to plant them in gardens with high clay content and high pH soil, as they struggle to grow. The sandy loam soil often found in Evanston gardens is great for growing white pines. You most likely have nothing to worry about.

Evergreen trees such as pines, spruce and firs lose the oldest or innermost l