1yo pine seedlings - three different issues

[gschup]

Hi! In spring this year, I started a few pine seedlings just to see what would happen. Now in fall, I am encountering phenomena I was not able to figure out myself. Two of my pinus sylvestris seedlings have developed browning on the tip of the needles, but they both look very different. Can you help me identify what is happening with them?


This one has very pale browning across the left half of the plant.


This one has very bright orange-brown color on just the tips, but on almost every needle.


My third issue is related to identification. I wanted to experience double-flush pines, so I bought some JRP seeds online (pinus densiflora). The seller turned out to be quite unreliable. I am unsure if the pines are actually JRP or something completely different. They certainly don't look like sylvestris, so that is cool. Can you help me identify/confirm?

 

[Shibui]

Your 'red pine' seedlings still have juvenile foliage so it's too early to make any call on ID for those. It could take another year or maybe 2 before they show distinct characteristics.

The first seedling is only affected on one side which suggests either sunburn or too much shade. Can you recall whether that's the side that gets more sun or was that one tucked away in a shaded area? It's not showing a tendency to grow toward the light so I'd guess sunburn? Probably means it got a bit dry at some stage?

Brown tips can also be a range of factors.
Most likely in smaller pots is dehydration. Any chance the pots dried out, even for part of a day?
Too wet can have similar results because roots die leading to dehydration, even though the soil is wet.
Only you can tell if it's more likely they got dry or were too wet most of the time.

 

[gschup]

The first seedling is only affected on one side which suggests either sunburn or too much shade. Can you recall whether that's the side that gets more sun or was that one tucked away in a shaded area? It's not showing a tendency to grow toward the light so I'd guess sunburn? Probably means it got a bit dry at some stage?

Brown tips can also be a range of factors.
Most likely in smaller pots is dehydration. Any chance the pots dried out, even for part of a day?
Too wet can have similar results because roots die leading to dehydration, even though the soil is wet.
Only you can tell if it's more likely they got dry or were too wet most of the time.

Thanks for the input! Sunburn makes a lot of sense for the one-sided browning, that was the side towards the sun. It generally rained quite heavily the last few weeks, so I did not water them regularly. Maybe I created an opportunity for them to dry out...

Just to confirm, even if the issue is fixed, the needles cannot rejuvenate again, right? They are now damaged and will stay brown, right?

 

[pmalelis]

Thanks for the input! Sunburn makes a lot of sense for the one-sided browning, that was the side towards the sun. It generally rained quite heavily the last few weeks, so I did not water them regularly. Maybe I created an opportunity for them to dry out...

Just to confirm, even if the issue is fixed, the needles cannot rejuvenate again, right? They are now damaged and will stay brown, right?

They won't change back green but will fall off anyways by the third year in natural course

 

[Shibui]

Just to confirm, even if the issue is fixed, the needles cannot rejuvenate again, right? They are now damaged and will stay brown, right?

Correct but those needles are not part of any future tree.
You can just leave them and they'll fall off in time. Most of what I can see appears to be juvenile needles which probably will not last the 3 years that adult foliage does.
If the brown ends offend you or keep reminding you of possible mistake you can trim the ends (tips will be brown after trimming but less obvious than lots of long brown bits) or cut/pluck the worst right out. Just make sure to leave enough green to keep them growing.