Why Are My Tree’s Leaves Turning Black?

Don’t let your tree die when its leaves start turning black. Knowing what causes leaves to turn black and drop can help you spring into action, saving your tree and protecting your landscape.

fasttreeremovalatlanta.com gathered the information why, and steps to take when your tree’s leaves start turning black and falling off your tree.

Why Do Tree Leaves Turn Black?

There are many reasons your tree’s leaves can turn black and fall off the tree. The following are some of the more probable causes:

Hot Weather and Drought – During times of drought, trees are more susceptible to being damaged by radical changes in temperature.

Sudden rises in temperature can leach the moisture out of your trees and cause its leaves to wither, brown, and blacken.

While it isn’t feasible to control the weather, you can help your trees survive radical temperature fluctuations by doing the following:

• Increase the frequency of deep watering
• Decrease the amount of fertilizer applied
• Mulch your trees

During times of drought coupled with high temperatures, your tree’s internal processes speed up. Over-fertilizing may cause your trees to consume more nutrients than they can process, causing fertilizer burn and hastening their death.

Learn more about how to fertilize trees by reading fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/fertilization-basics-healthier-trees

Boring Insect Infestations – When trees are stressed by hot weather, disease, or poor care practices, they become highly susceptible to successful insect attacks. Namely, beetle attacks.

Beetle infestations often result in leaf wilt, severe defoliation, and the blackening of the leaves. When a tree or stand of trees falls victim to a beetle infestation, treatment must begin immediately to slow or halt an infestation of epidemic proportions.

Some of the signs of a successful beetle infestation include:

• Unseasonal leaf color change
• Premature leaf drop
• Crown wilting
• Blackening of the foliage
• Entry holes
• Sawdust found on limbs and trunk

Infested trees are challenging to treat without killing the tree itself, and should be left to a tree professional. However, unaffected trees in the vicinity should be treated with insecticides to deter beetle attacks.

Ash trees are highly vulnerable to the deadly emerald ash borer. However, when their foliage blackens, it is more likely from an anthracnose infection than the borer.

NOTE: It is common practice to remove and destroy heavily beetle-infested trees to protect a wooded area or stand of healthy trees. In some instances, uninfected diseased trees that have become susceptible to beetle infestations may also be removed to prevent the spread of the beetle.

The ambrosia beetle is another boring insect that affects many tree species throughout North America. Learn more about the damage it causes and how to treat an infestation by reading fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/ambrosia-beetle-damage-treatment

Anthracnose Tree Disease – This disease is often referred to as leaf spot or leaf blight. It may be caused by several different fungi. The following are some of the common symptoms indicating that your tree is infected:

• Irregular dead spots on leaves
• Formation of cankers on twigs, branches, and the trunk
• Wilting and blackening of affected foliage
• Premature leaf drop
• Bud death (resembling frost damage)

Treatment for anthracnose includes the systematic application of fungicides in late winter and early spring, and the extensive pruning of affected areas of the tree.

Diseases like anthracnose are easily transmitted from one tree to another, usually by splashing water, overhead watering, and rainwater. Another common form of transmission is through the gardening and pruning tools used for your landscaping. Read about disease prevention tips at fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/5-tree-shrub-disease-prevention-tips

NOTE: Any time more than 25% of a tree’s crown must be pruned, call in a professional tree service to evaluate the health of the tree and potential alternatives to pruning.

Anthracnose is rarely lethal to mature trees. Still, repeated annual infections can cause the decline of the tree’s health, leading to infestations, disease, and the eventual death of the tree.

For more information on identifying and managing anthracnose, visit ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7420.html

Tree Health and Disease Prevention

There are insecticides, fertilizers, and fungicides that can be applied throughout the year to protect your trees. However, the most effective measure to take in preventing your trees from withering in the heat, succumbing to boring insects, or contracting lethal diseases is to promote their health relentlessly.

The following are measures you can take to promote the healthy growth of your trees:

• Conduct annual soil tests to determine nutrient deficiencies and pH adjustments
• Adjust your watering schedule to keep the soil moist but well-drained
• Maintain organic mulch over the root plate throughout the year
• Correctly prune your trees to encourage spring growth
• Have your trees and landscape inspected annually by a professional tree service to detect any potential issues.

Your vigilance in keeping your trees healthy is perhaps their greatest ally in reaching maturity and living their lives pest and disease-free.

When Tree Leaves Turn Black

In this article, you discovered why tree leaves can turn black, and the steps you can take to help your tree recover and prevent future occurrences.

When problems arise, and they will, your immediate response is fundamental to the preservation of a robust landscape filled with healthy trees.

Your inaction or indifference will result in the decline of your tree’s health, its eventual death, and the potential to fall on your property or cause severe injuries.

Sources:
extension.psu.edu/anthracnose-on-shade-trees
entomology.ca.uky.edu/ent43
ipm.ucanr.edu/QT/treeborerscard.html

Fast Tree Removal Services Atlanta

3379 Peachtree Road #555a, Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 220-9965

Fast Tree Removal Services Dunwoody

2111 Peachford Cir, Dunwoody, GA 30338
(404) 220-9963

To view the orignal version of this post, visit: http://www.fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/why-leaves-turning-black

Why Are Trees Dying All Over the World?

Trees around the world are dying, and they’re going fast. Can we figure out how to remedy this before it’s too late?

Trees on a global scale are being threatened and are dying from drought, disease, insects, and fire as average worldwide temperatures are on the rise. Individual action to plant and protect trees can and should be taken.

fasttreeremovalatlanta.com collected information demonstrating how global warming and climate change have adversely affected trees all over the world, including screwbean mesquite trees, ancient baobab trees, dying forests in California, and the plight of the pines in Canada’s Jasper national forest.

Tree Threats Due to Global Warming and Climate Change

As global warming leads to climate change, trees are forced to adapt or die. While many tree species are able to accommodate subtle temperature changes, there are those that are unable to cope with the environmental changes. Read here about climate change and the future of deciduous trees.

Warmer temperatures translate to a longer growing season. This produces larger trees with less wood density and a lower capacity to absorb and store carbon dioxide.

As trees are responsible for removing more than 100 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the global atmosphere, a decline in their capacity is noteworthy and somewhat alarming. For more on the planet’s carbon cycle visit globecarboncycle.unh.edu/CarbonPoolsFluxes.shtml

With higher temperatures (even by 1 or 2 degrees), droughts are becoming more frequent and widespread, potentially leading to:

Carbon Starvation – During a period of drought, trees will go into a state of conservation where they all but cease carbon dioxide absorption, thus dramatically reducing photosynthesis and the production of nutrients for the tree.

While many trees species have evolved to withstand drought, their decline and eventual death are hastened as periods of drought become more frequent and lengthy.

Hydraulic Failure – During periods of prolonged or severe drought, the lack of water also known as hydraulic failure can quickly debilitate and kill trees.

Bark Beetle Infestations – This same increase in temperatures also leads to more favorable conditions for wide-spread bark beetle infestations including in high-elevation pines.

As a beetle bores into the bark of a pine tree, it is met with resin, the tree’s primary defense mechanism. During periods of drought, the resin flow from pine trees is reduced, lowering the tree’s capability to repel the beetle’s attack.

Weather acts as another of the tree’s defense mechanisms against bark beetles. To kill a beetle brood, winter temperatures must remain below freezing for at least a week, and even this depends on the species of beetle.

USDA Hardiness Zone Map 1990 to 2015

To illustrate the warming tendencies across the continental United States, look no further than the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. The image below represents temperature increases between 1990 and 2015, subsequently causing a shift in the borders and sizes of the hardiness zones.

Some of these changes are significant enough to alter species selections for landscapes and gardens, more notably in the southern states. If these changes continue over the coming decades, plants and tree species planted as little as 30 years ago may succumb to their changed environment.

Dying Screwbean Mesquite Trees in the Southwest United States

Found in western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, southern Nevada, and in northern Mexico, the screwbean mesquite tree is a well-adapted species for desert climates. Yet, this tree species is rapidly dying off.

While the reasons for the decimation of the screwbean mesquite are still eluding researchers, two strong candidates are emerging from the theories:

Temperature Increases – While desert vegetation is uniquely adapted to withstand high temperatures and sparse rainfall, it is the increase in overnight temperatures that may be causing the decline and death of this species.

Pathogens – In recent studies of dead screwbean mesquites, an unknown pathogen has been discovered in several of the specimens. Whether this pathogen played a part in the demise of the trees or was an effect of what caused their death is still undetermined. To read more about the plight of the screwbean mesquite visit blog.nature.org/science/2018/10/09/the-mystery-of-the-dying-mesquites/

Ancient African Baobab Trees Dying Off

African baobab trees are long-lived, with some having thrived for over 2,000 years. That is, until recently. According to a recent study of the eldest of the species, they have all begun to decline or die.

Most striking is that baobab trees that have persisted for so long are now dying one after another, indicating a dramatic change in their ecosystem.

While more research is needed for a conclusive determination, the trees are currently under pressure by increasing temperatures and drought. All information thus far points towards climate change as the culprit. Read more here nature.com/articles/s41477-018-0170-5.epdf

Dying Trees in California

The effects of rising temperatures, infestations, and drought on forests are abundantly clear in California’s forests. In mid-2016, aerial surveys documented that nearly 28 million trees had died in the California forest landscape.

With a landscape already prone to wildfires, California in recent years has seen its most destructive fires leave paths of devastation through communities and entire cities.

Fueled by dead and dying trees, these fires are fast-moving, more intense, and deadly reminders of the effects the climate is having on trees. For more wildfire information visit insurancepublicadjustersofgeorgia.com/wildfire-property-insurance-claim/

For further reading on the death of trees in California visit www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article75411182.html

Trees Changing, in Decline, and Dying Around the World

As average temperatures rise around the world, invasive diseases, pests, and drought are taking their toll on the global tree population.

In Europe, studies have revealed that warmer temperatures have created a longer growing season, producing larger, but weaker trees.

Canadian forests are being decimated by mountain pine beetles. As temperatures rise, the beetles are able to survive and successfully attack in higher altitudes. Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies is a perfect example where nearly half of the park’s trees have been affected and are either in decline or dead.

Tree diseases are also on the rise. In the recent past, Dutch elm disease and hemlock woolly adelgid caused catastrophic tree loss in eastern forests.

In 2010, it was found that Hawaii’s ohi’a trees were infected and dying from what was called ohi’a death disease. By 2016, nearly 50,000 acres on the big island’s native forest were found to be infected with the disease.

Currently, Beech leaf disease is posing severe threats by rapidly spreading to Beech trees in all stages, including saplings, mature trees, and those that are centuries old in the northeastern United States and Canada.

Rising Global Temperatures and Tree Loss

Trees are being negatively impacted on a global scale by rising temperatures. Without a solution in thecoming decades, our forests may all be at risk of dying.

In this article, you discovered how the world’s tree population is struggling with rising global temperatures, drought, aggressive diseases, insect infestations, and wildfire. You also found out that screwbean mesquite trees, African baobab trees, and North American pines are under incredible environmental stress.

It may seem that on an individual level we are helpless to halt or reverse these climatic changes. However, we can plant trees and shrubs in their correct hardiness zones, take measures to control tree pests and infestations, and provide ample water for your trees.

Sources:
https://grist.org/article/the-last-ditch-effort-to-save-the-worlds-forests-from-climate-change/
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aaba0f/pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms5967
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/climate-change-making-trees-bigger-weaker
https://www.arborday.org/media/mapchanges.cfm

https://plus.google.com/+Fasttreeremovalatlantaservices

Fast Tree Removal Services Atlanta

3379 Peachtree Road #555a, Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 220-9965

To view the orignal version of this post, visit: http://www.fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/trees-dying-all-over-the-world

Ambrosia Beetle Damage and Treatment

An ambrosia beetle infestation can cause catastrophic damages and the death of your trees if it goes without treatment.

Once an ambrosia beetle infestation is detected, professional treatment should begin immediately as well as steps to prevent spreading.

In this fasttreeremovalatlanta.com article, you will learn how this insect damages trees, discover how to identify an ambrosia beetle infestation, treat it, and prevent them from spreading to other trees.

Identifying an Ambrosia Beetle Infestation

For the mid-Atlantic and southern states, the concerning species of the ambrosia beetle (native to southeast Asia) is the granulate ambrosia beetle, (Xylosandrus Crassiusculus).

Common host tree species for this pest include crape myrtles, magnolias, oaks, willows, peach, plum, cherry, Japanese maples, ash, dogwood, beech, birch, and many other species can support the ambrosia beetle and the ambrosia fungus.

Besides identifying the beetle itself (pictured above), here are a few of the signs to help you positively identify an ambrosia beetle infestation:

• Wilting of foliage on terminal ends of branches and twigs.
• Terminal dieback.
• Entry holes on the affected trunk, branch, or twig.
• Blackening of the tissue surrounding the entry hole or of the “pith” which is the nutrient-rich tissue beneath the xylem and phloem in branches, twigs, and stems.
• Sawdust “toothpicks” will protrude from the hole being bored into the tree.

Watch this video to see the signs of an ambrosia beetle infestation.

Other boring insects will display some of the same signs. Regardless of the species that is attacking your trees, the damage they cause is insurmountable, and action must be taken to halt the infestation.

Ambrosia Beetle Tree Damage

An ambrosia beetle infestation is a bit different from other beetle infestations. Whereas most beetles bore into the tree and stay just under the bark to feed on the xylem and phloem, ambrosia beetles burrow deep into the tree’s heartwood.

Once in the heartwood, the beetle creates a chamber or “gallery,” lays its eggs and releases spores of the ambrosia fungi, which lives on (in a symbiotic manner) and is transported by the ambrosia beetle.

As the fungus grows within the tree, it serves as food for the hatching larvae. And as it spreads, it blackens the pith tissue of the host while invading and feeding off of the tree’s nutrient-rich xylem and phloem.

To further understand the symbiotic relationship between fungi and beetles, watch this video.

Tree boring insects like the ambrosia beetle are able to inflict tremendous damage to trees in all growth and health stages. However, the healthier a tree is, the less likely it will be infested.

Ambrosia Beetle Infestation Treatment

Part of any infestation treatment is the awareness of the problem. Once confirmed, advise your neighbors and any community groups of the situation. Offer to educate them and follow up by recommending the following:

1 – The use of insecticides on infested trees will result in little to no control of the infestation. However, the same insecticides will help keep unaffected trees from being attacked.

2 – Prune back and destroy all affected areas of the tree. If more than 20% of the crown will be lost, seek professional assistance.

In these cases, the tree may become more stressed, inviting further infestation and disease. Removal of the tree may be required to eliminate the infestation altogether.

3 – Severe infestations in which the trunk of the affected tree has many entry points may require the removal of the tree. As mentioned earlier, insecticides provide little to no results on an already infested tree.

4 – Extreme caution should be exercised when using fungicides and herbicides around trees infested by boring insects. In attempting to curb the growth of fungi, the exposed xylem and phloem may carry these chemicals throughout the tree and kill it.

5 – Don’t go it alone. Seek the assistance of a tree professional or arborist, they will be able to guide you through treatments and offer advice based on their knowledge and experience.

Tree Boring Insect Prevention

Preventing infestations begins with the proper and regular maintenance of your trees to keep them healthy.

Ambrosia beetles are less likely to attack healthy trees, instead will attack weakened, dying, or even dead trees with sufficient moisture for their symbiotic fungal growth.

Besides tree health, bark insecticidal sprays are the only other practical way to protect trees from being attacked.

Professional Tree Service and Infestation Prevention

Now that you know how to identify the signs of an ambrosia beetle infestation, the potential devastation they can inflict, and how to prevent or treat an outbreak, you should be prepared when the time comes.

Early identification of an infestation is crucial in halting irreversible damage to your trees. As stated above, the removal and disposal of affected limbs or the entire tree is the only truly effective treatment. Prevention is ultimately a question of the tree’s health and using insecticides before an infestation begins.

By not taking measures to halt an infestation or prevent one from attacking your trees, the risk of that tree weakening, becoming further stressed and eventually dying is significantly increased. Trees in this weakened state are more likely to topple, potentially causing catastrophic damages or even death. Your best course of action would be to call on a professional tree service to evaluate the situation and help you through it.

Sources:

http://www.gatrees.org/community-forests/ask-the-arborist/AmbrosiaBeetlesinUrbanTrees.pdf
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/ambrosia-beetles-trees-and-shrubs
https://www.clemson.edu/extension/publications/entomology/turf-ornamental/ambrosia-beetles-to22.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosia_beetle
https://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/tropical-entomology/factsheets/ambrosia_beetles.shtml

https://plus.google.com/+Fasttreeremovalatlantaservices

Fast Tree Removal Services Atlanta

3379 Peachtree Road #555a, Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 220-9965

To view the orignal version of this post, visit: http://www.fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/ambrosia-beetle-damage-treatment