Tree Diseases
Identifying Tree Diseases
There are many diseases that affect the trees and shrubs in central Texas. Below are some of the common diseases that we see in the area and information about them. If you see any signs of disease, let us know and our professional tree service experts can diagnose the problem.
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Anthracnose
The weakening of the tree or shrub caused by anthracnose can make them more susceptible to other diseases and insect damage. Left untreated, tree removal is a likely outcome.
Dead or necrotic spots or lesions on the leaves, losing leaves early in the growing season, and lesions and dead spots on the twigs and branches are all symptoms of this disease.
Treatment
It may be necessary to remove dead branches, twigs and infected leaves in order to prevent or reduce the risk of anthracnose. It is recommended that if you have any symptomatic leaves that have fallen to destroy them so they don’t spread the disease. Lastly, add a copper based fungicide.
Cankers
Cankers are often caused by fungal or bacterial infections. These will be dead areas on the branches of a tree or shrub that will be between the bark and the tissue of the tree. These can be red lesions found on branches, twigs or trunks.
There are many types of problems that can cause cankers. They range from diseases to injury to the tree or shrub caused by improper care of the plant. Anything that can allow fungus and bacteria to get into the live tissue of the tree will cause them and cankers can result in a large amount of die-back on the plant. They can cause issues with the tree or shrub that will make it far less able to handle all kinds of environmental stressors that a healthy plant could survive.
Treatment
To keep this tree disease from spreading remove effected twigs and branches, and avoid trimmming in wet weather as it can cause the disease to spread. Tree trimming can hopefully prevent needing to move forward with tree removal.
Oak Wilt
Twenty tree species are vunerable to this disease including Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and New York.
Oak wilt has killed more than 1 million oak trees in central Texas and is caused by a fungus that spreads easily from tree to tree causing multiple trees to die at a time. It can spread through the root system of the trees or through insects that feed on the sap. Trees with wounds are most vunerable.
Symptoms of the fungus causing damage can vary depending on the type of oak tree. You will usually see the veins of the leaves starting to turn yellow and then brown and eventually the tree will start to lose it’s leaves.
Treatment
White oak trees can be treated but red oak trees cannot. Applying a systemic fungicide during growth season can help prevent oak wilt.
If you suspect any of your oak trees have this issue it is important to let us know so we can try and contain it. Through containing oak wilt, there’s less of a chance that tree removal will need to happen.
