Pine trees collapsing

Question: I am wondering if you can help me determine what is wrong with my pines? The one is severely bending at the top and the one to the left of it is changing color and getting sparse. I’m sure that one is dying. Can you offer any advice? Please let me know if you need any other info.

responder: Linda G Tenneson, Benton County Extension Master Gardener & Tree Care Advisor Replied August 13, 2024, 10:07 PM EDT
response: The tree with a bend at the top may be from the wind,and may broken off. If those needles turn yellow rapidly then it is a break. Remove the broken section if possible or wait for it to drop to the ground. The tree will recover and send up a new leader in time. The tree with the lighter color on the second year needles, (those spaced farther in from the tips) may have a needle cast disease. See this web page.  All four trees are spruce or fir, not pine. Spruce is most likely.  https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/evergreen/spruce/needlesdiscolored.html Diagnosis of a needles cast disease, (there are more than one) would be made by an arborist, submitting a sample to the Plant Disease Clinic for a fee, https://pdc.umn.edu/ or by studying the needles with a magnifying glass and checking against this or other web page.  https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/rhizosphaera-needle-cast#:~:text=Rhizosphaera%20needle%20cast%20is%20a,suffer%20from%20Rhizosphaera%20needle%20cast. https://trees.umn.edu/sites/trees.umn.edu/files/2021-10/stigmina_faq_sheet.pdf

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 14, 2024, 9:46 AM EDT
response: Hello, and thank you very much for all of this information! The bend at the top of the tree was progressive. It started drooping over a period of time. Could it possibly be from the weight of all the cones at the top? There are so many cones at the top of some of my trees this year. And thank you for the clarification on what kinds of trees these are!Sent from my iPhone On Aug 13, 2024, at 9:07 PM, Ask Extension wrote:﻿

responder: Linda G Tenneson, Benton County Extension Master Gardener & Tree Care Advisor Replied August 14, 2024, 11:44 AM EDT
response: The amount of bend on trees #2 and #4 (counting left to right) is normal. The bend on tree #3 is not. Something is going on with that tree. If the needles start to turn brown, it might mean that a partial break has occurred on the trunk.

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 14, 2024, 12:01 PM EDT
response: Thank you. So I can rule out the weight of pine cones making it bend? Sent from my iPhone On Aug 14, 2024, at 10:44 AM, Ask Extension wrote:﻿

responder: Linda G Tenneson, Benton County Extension Master Gardener & Tree Care Advisor Replied August 14, 2024, 3:49 PM EDT
response: I would never rule anything out based on a photograph. I am just guessing based on what I have seen other trees do. Check the tree with binoculars or have an arborist visit to be sure. An arborist should look at the possible needle cast disease behind the sign. We cannot recommend specific companies. Go to https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist for help with finding one.

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 14, 2024, 4:23 PM EDT
response: Thank you again, I appreciate your help!Sent from my iPhone On Aug 14, 2024, at 2:49 PM, Ask Extension wrote:﻿