HI..I'm from New-Brunswick Canada...recently put my ponderosa tree on the patio...leaves are turning silver and curling..we did have a lot of rain one week and I think one night of frost...what does this mean????

Hi rudell,

Did you take your tree from the inside shade of the house to direct sunlight in the same day.

It kinda looks like sunburn to me. Maybe if you didnt let it acclimate to the bright outdoors you should put it in the shade for a couple weeks before direct sun light.

If im wrong im sure one of the more seasoned growers will chime in.

I guess it would make sense...so I'm assuming all these leaves will fall off and my tree will look bare so next year put the tree outside in shade for a week got it...thanks

anybody else here have a ponderosa tree?

From the looks of the tree, only a few from the top leaves, and a couple of leaves from the side should drop. Your tree should fully recover, and acquire additional new growth through the remaining sumer months. Be sure to provide the tree with good nutrition for the remaining summer season. Over the next 10 days to two weeks, give the tree a little more direct sunlight each day, then the tree should be able to placed in full sun. - Millet (944-)

Sunburn on leaves highly infected with red mites.
If you look carefully the pictures, you can see the webs.

Sun and shade leaves differ in leaf structure, leaf composition, and even leaf physiological activity (the way the leaf functions). It has been shown that upon transfer to a different light environment, even mature, fully developed leaves undergo actual structural and physiological light acclimation changes. High light intensities, as those occurring during the middle of the day, cause the leaf blade temperatures to rise considerably beyond the ambient air temperature. Until the tree's leaves have adapted, (changed their structure and physical composition), by slowly acclimatizing them to the sun, this rise in leaf temperature, and the high light irradiation, can easily damage the leaf's photosynthetic apparatus, and the leaf blade itself. - Millet (942-)

When you do get the tree acclimated to the full sun, you may want to shade that black pot as well, as it will cause the root zone temperature to rise into the 100's (F), burning its roots. Barbara

I agree that you should check for spider mites.
I also think you should check you have not allowed the plant to dry out completely. The symptoms are consistent with lack of water.

I've always had problems with spider mites...don't know how to get ride of the buggers....once in a while I make a mix of dish water soap and spray but they survive I guess.

Res spider mites are a continuous problem, usually worse in hot dry locations. You have to spray weekly to get rid of them because the eggs keep hatching. They also live on other plants around your house and are reintroduced to your tree by every insect that stops by.