ALL conifers shed interior needles...

NO conifer holds its needles more than 3 years ...

so... on words alone.. its normal...

perhaps a pic might get you other ideas ..

but i think the bottom line is... you dont like what your plant is ...

so why not get rid of it .... rather than hoping there is some magical spray for being UGLY .... [i could make all kinds of jokes about that ... lol]

there are a very lot of mugo's ... if you want an ID.. get some pix .. but even if you know the name.. its still going to be ugly ....

ken

Actually, depending on the species, many conifers do hold needles for 3 to 7 years depending on species, climate, and cultural conditions. Pinus longaeva can hold its needles for up to 40 years!

3 years is about right for mugo pine. From your description of the plants, it sounds like the annual growth has slowed down. How much did it grow last year? How would you describe growing conditions? Soil clayey, sandy, wet or dry? Does it get supplemental water? How much sun? A picture of plant and site would help. It sounds like the plant is not happy where it is.

Alex