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Prevent your tree from harboring fungus that can quickly kill the tree and spread throughout your landscape. Knowing what to do when fungi appear on a tree is essential to getting rid of it.
fasttreeremovalatlanta.com gathered information on the signs of fungal disease and how to eliminate tree fungus.
Signs of a Fungal Disease
As most tree diseases manifest in just a few ways, so do tree fungi. The following are signs to look for:
Dieback
A dusting or a light coating on areas of your tree
Discoloration or growth (scabs) in the bark
Abnormal growth, discoloration, or wilting in the leaves or needles
Fungus growing on your tree
Soil sogginess near the trunk of your tree (could indicate root rot)
Some fungi develop into disease fairly quickly and are called:
Oak Wilt
Heart Rot
Butt Rot
Root Rot
Canker Disease
Powdery Mildew
Sooty Mold
Rust Diseases
Scab Diseases
Needle Cast
Mushroom Conks (More on this below)
Fungi can quickly break down a tree’s structural integrity, eventually causing them to fall apart. The growth process of fungi may also interfere with that of its leaves, hurting a tree’s ability to photosynthesize. A sick tree can become dangerous when its strength and structure are compromised by a fungal infection.
How To Eliminate Tree Fungus
Fungi spread all around us, all the time. Here are some fungicidal sprays that can be made at home and applied to your trees and other plant life to discourage fungal growth or development.
Vinegar Spray – You can create a highly effective fungicide by combining one tablespoon of vinegar with one gallon of water. This vinegar mixture can be applied to any plant without causing harm and is sensitive enough to be applied to infected rose plants.
Baking Soda Spray – make this spray by dissolving 1 teaspoon of baking soda into one quart of water. You can add a few drops of insecticidal soap or liquid soap to help the solution spread and adhere to the plant’s leaves. Only use liquid hand soap, like a countertop Ivory, and not laundry detergent. This spray works exceptionally well for powdery mildew, leaf blight, and anthracnose. So, if you see your leaves drooping and prematurely falling, try out this spray.
Milk Spray – This remedy is one of the simplest! Just combine one part milk with nine parts water, and presto, you have a highly effective, natural fungicide ready for weekly applications.
Chamomile Tea – Brew up a pot of chamomile tea, let it cool, and it’s immediately ready for application. This treatment can be sprayed or drizzled on your plants as they grow, mature, or show signs of infection.
Cinnamon – Like other natural remedies, cinnamon is a gentle and effective cure for fungal infections. Especially when treating seedlings or tender, new growth.
Pruning – This approach is recommended for all infected trees. For more massive trees, you may need the assistance of a professional tree service.
Carefully prune away branches and portions of the tree that have become infected or display symptoms of infection. It is crucial that all pruning equipment and tools be sanitized before and after use with diseased trees.
Crown thinning is a pruning technique that “thins” out the crown and allows both sun and air to circulate more freely among remaining branches and foliage. (Airflow and sunlight are both enemies to fungus establishment and growth)
Tip: Before sanitizing your tools, be sure to sanitize your hands and any clothing that may be contaminated with a fungus.
Mushroom Conks on My Tree
Mushroom conks are the fruiting structure of a much larger and more intricate fungal body. Conks are typically firmly attached to the portion on the tree they grew from and should be handled with extreme caution.
When you see mushroom conks growing out of your tree’s wood (on the trunk or branches), DO NOT knock them off or disturb them. A mere jostle could cause a single conk to release billions of spores into the air, potentially infecting and eventually killing other trees, shrubbery, and plant life.
Tip: Mushrooms growing near a tree or its roots (on the ground or the wood) can also indicate a severe fungal infection. If this is the case, you should have your tree professionally evaluated immediately.
Does Bleach Kill Tree Fungus?
Yes. Another way to eliminate fungi from trees includes spraying affected trees with a light bleach and water solution. Most Household bleach is around 5-6% active ingredient and diluting that down to a 10:1 or 5:1 ratio probably wouldn’t hurt your trees as long as they have gone dormant.
Note: This solution should NOT be sprayed on live, thriving, or young, tender plant life.
Killing Tree Fungus
In this article, you discovered signs to watch for that indicate a fungal infection attacking your tree and how to eliminate tree fungi.
Knowing how to identify and quickly treat tree fungi will help you preserve the structure and strength of your tree.
Ignoring the advancement of tree fungi on or in your tree will lead to it becoming diseased, hazardousm, and eventually dying.
Prevent your trees and shrubs from dying and spreading root rot throughout your landscape. Knowing how to isolate and safely manage Armillaria root rot will help you keep your yard’s plant life thriving.
fasttreeremovalatlanta.com gathered information on what Armillaria root rot is, symptoms that help you identify it, how it survives and spreads, and what you can do to treat and prevent it.
What Is Armillaria Root Rot?
Armillaria root rot or mushroom root rot is a genus of fungi, Armillaria spp., that naturally decay tree stumps, dead wood, and roots. But Armillaria can also successfully attack living trees. While growing on dead wood, Armillaria produces rhizomorphs (root-like structures) that can grow 50 to 70 feet away from the original infection site. Larger infection sites support more significant, more extensive rhizomorph growth. Where rhizomorphs contact a potential host’s root system, they can infect those roots, causing growth problems and eventually girdling the tree.
Large trees may be able to compartmentalize the fungus in infected roots and survive for years. However, the host will grow progressively weaker as roots are killed, eventually becoming susceptible to windthrow. Smaller trees and plant life can be debilitated and killed more quickly.
Note: This fungus is found worldwide but prefers cool soils and climates.
Common Armillaria Root Rot – Hosts (Trees, Shrubs, Plants)
Armillaria infects a wide range of trees from oaks and hickories, to many hardwoods and conifers, like:
Douglas-fir
Lodgepole pines
Ponderosa pines
Spruce
Grand fir pines
Cedar
Fruit trees
Vines
Shrubs
Shade trees
Note: The only two genera of trees known to have developed a resistance to Armillaria root rot are larch and birch.
Armillaria Root Rot – Signs and Symptoms
While the majority of Armillaria root rot damage occurs below ground, the following visible signs indicate an Armillaria root rot infection:
The tree may produce stress crops (abnormally large production of fruits, cones, or seeds)
Foliage emerges small and/or chlorotic (yellowing) on deciduous trees
Needles turn brown on infected evergreens
Dieback in upper portions of the crown
Large clusters of light-colored mushrooms growing at the base of the tree or on the root flare
Thick, black fungal strands may grow on infected trees and in surrounding soil (like a net)
Flat, white fungal growth appears in sheets between the bark and the wood at the base of infected trees and shrubs
Trees will have decayed roots and a lower trunk (leaving the tree susceptible to windthrow or windsnap)
The tree or plant will eventually die
Note: The base of infected pine and evergreen species (just below the soil surface) may be found encrusted in sap/resin.
How It Spreads and Thrives
Armillaria-causing fungi can survive for many years in wood debris, including stumps or root systems. New infections occur when healthy roots grow close to diseased roots. Rhizomorphs (black shoestring-like strands of fungal growth) can spread dozens of feet from an infected tree or stump to infect healthy roots.
Once the fungus colonizes the roots and the base of the trunk, the wood begins to decay. A healthy, robust tree can often slow the growth of the fungus. Still, stressed trees are usually damaged and debilitated quickly.
Trees die of Armillaria root rot when:
Girdling – roots can no longer move water and nutrients through the tree’s cambium Windthrow – roots can no longer secure the tree to the ground in even the slightest breeze Windsnap – the tree trunk is weakened and snaps in the wind
Note: Tyloses may also result in girdling. Occurring naturally, tyloses are formed in a tree or plant’s vascular system. They are are meant to plug or clog the vascular tissue in an attempt to prevent a disease’s advancement or from causing further damage to the tree.
Armillaria Root Rot Treatment
The first and most effective line of defense for your trees, shrubs, and plants is their health. The more optimal their conditions are for healthy growth, the better their chances are of remaining disease-free. Accomplish this by:
Mulching the soil around the tree’s base out to the edge of the drip line
Increase the tree’s watering schedule during drought (without leaving your plants and trees in standing water or poorly drained soil)
Protect trees and shrubs from mechanical wounds (lawnmowers, weed whackers, and other equipment)
Prevent pedestrian and vehicle traffic from the tree’s root plate to avoid soil compaction
Remove unstable trees
Remove infected stumps and as many roots as possible
Tip: Have your trees assessed annually by a certified arborist to determine if they are infected with Armillaria fungi and determine their structural stability.
Note: The more troubling aspect of Armillaria root rot is that, as of the publishing of this article, there is no definitive treatment or cure for the disease.
In this article, you discovered Armillaria root rot information, how to identify an active infection, how the pathogen survives and spreads, and what you can do to manage it and prevent it.
Keeping your landscape free of infected trees, shrubs, and plants will help you slow the progression of this prolific, robust fungal pathogen.
Allowing diseased/infected trees and plant life to persist on your property will accelerate the spread of Armillaria, exacerbating the sometimes invisible damage occurring beneath the soil and bark.
Prevent your trees, shrubs, and plants from falling victim to and dying from leaf spot disease. Knowing how to recognize leaf spot, how it spreads, and how you can stop it will help you keep your landscape flourishing.
fasttreeremovalatlanta.com gathered information on what leaf spot is, how to identify it, and how to treat it.
Leaf Spot Disease
Leaf spot is a general term used to describe multiple plant diseases. These diseases weaken trees, shrubs, and plants by reducing available foliar space for photosynthesis. Leaf spot diseases may indicate (when present with other symptoms) Anthracnose, nematodes, canker disease, insect infestation, root rot, or herbicide injury. Leaves affected by leaf spot will eventually yellow and drop prematurely.
Note: Most forms of leaf spot diseases affect a small portion of a tree’s foliage and cause minor stress in a single season. When allowed to persist over multiple seasons, leaf spot diseases can considerably weaken a tree, allowing for secondary disease infections and insect infestations.
Leaf Spot Disease Identification
Depending on how the host is infected will determine how leaf spot disease will reveal itself. You can identify leaf spot disease by observing the following:
Bacteria – Bacterial leaf spots appear as necrotic lesions (circular or irregular), often appearing to have a yellow outline.
Typical symptoms of bacterial leaf spots include the spot’s blackening post-infection. Eventually, older lesions dry, become papery. Bacterial spots may also exude white, yellow, cream, or silver ooze depending on the bacteria type, coming from splitting/opening lesions or the underside of the spots.
Fungi – Fungal leaf spots occur from plant tissue necrosis. Such necrotic lesions consist of spots of dead and collapsed cells on the host’s foliage, typically localized in area and shape.
A standout fungal infection feature is spore presence in the center of the spots. Fungal leaf spots often appear with a brown, black, or reddish in color with a darker margin.
Virus – Leaf spots can also be visible virus infection symptoms and are referred to as systemic symptoms. These leaf spots display chlorosis from chlorophyll development repression. Leaves may yellow and can have a spotted green or yellow appearance, chlorotic or necrotic rings (ringspots). No signs of the viral pathogen itself will be apparent as in other infections; detection of virus infections requires a microscope.
Note: All forms of leaf spot diseases can result in wilting foliage. This occurs as foliage cell tissue, cuticle, and epidermis are destroyed in infected areas, causing uncontrollable water loss.
Tip: Multiple growing seasons afflicted by leaf spots can result in crippled photosynthetic activity, causing undersized foliage, smaller blossoms, reduced growth, and lower yield.
Leaf Spot Disease Treatment
Leaf spot-causing organisms survive or overwinter in infected, fallen leaves and twigs. Some of these organisms may persist in dying or dead twigs on the host.
Most disease damage occurs in the spring months, during wet weather. Disease-causing agents can be carried by wind or splashing water to newly emerging foliage where they germinate in the moisture, infecting the leaves. Overhead watering can also provide ideal disease spreading conditions.
Here are several ways to effectively deal with or treat leaf spot disease:
Do Nothing – Most tree species tolerate leaf spots with little to no permanent damage. A tree affected early in the growing season will typically re-leaf with the new foliage potentially not affected. However, if such defoliation occurs during multiple growing seasons, even the most established plants can be adversely affected.
Remove and Destroy – (preferably by fire) fallen leaves and twigs in the fall. The causal fungi or bacteria survive in fallen, decaying leaves and organic debris.
Avoid Splashing Water – Cease any overhead watering, spraying, or other watering methods that result in splashing.
Seasonally Prune Your Trees – During a tree’s dormant season, dead, dying, or infected areas of your tree should be pruned with clean and sanitized equipment. For more reading on tree pruning, visit fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/how-to-prune-tree-branches
Tip: Your pruning and gardening equipment should always be sanitized between use on different trees or plants. A 90% water and 10% bleach solution will eliminate most pathogens.
Promote Tree and Plant Health – Most plant life can tolerate some defoliation. Keeping them in good health and thriving will help them survive such attacks. Read more on tree care at fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/how-to-care-for-trees
Chemical Leaf Spot Control – Chemical control should be used as a last resort or as a preventative measure when your trees are stressed from other disease infections or pest infestations. Consider the following:
If the tree’s foliage is already out and showing signs of leaf spot, chemical control will be ineffective. It is recommended to wait until before bud break next spring.
Apply fungicide as buds begin to swell in early spring.
Follow up with a second application five to ten days after bud break.
Multiple applications may be necessary during a rainy spring. (Manufacturer’s recommendations will vary based on the disease you are treating and the fungicide to be used. It would be helpful to have the disease identified by an ISA certified arborist or your university extension/testing facility.)
Tip: When chemical control is recommended, use a fungicide containing propiconazole. For those reluctant to employ chemical control methods, spray a mild bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) solution instead.
Replace the Infected Tree or Plant – When your tree or plant is continually impacted by leaf spot diseases, replace it with a different kind of plant, a more resistant, or more tolerant tree species. A local arborist or nursery can help you with your selection.
How Is Leaf Spot Disease Treated
In this article, you discovered what leaf spot is, how you can identify its causal agent, and how to treat and resolve it.
Knowing how to identify and treat leaf spot disease will help you prevent widespread or multiple season breakouts of this unsightly affliction.
Ignoring the progression of leaf spot in your garden or on your landscape can result in the loss of plants or the death of your trees.
Prevent catastrophic damages or injuries when disease causes your oak tree to die and fall. Knowing how to identify and treat oak tree diseases will help you keep your oak trees healthy and thriving.
fasttreeremovalatlanta.com gathered information on nine oak tree diseases, dying oak tree symptoms, and how to treat them before they get out of control.
Armillaria Root Rot
Armillaria root rot is caused by multiple species of Armillaria fungi. This disease causes slow or poor growth, chlorotic foliage, and the tree’s eventual death. Armillaria root rot can infect many deciduous and evergreen tree and shrub species. Trees infected with Armillaria root rot will have decayed roots and lower trunk. In trees with advanced infections are very likely to suffer windthrow or windbreak in storms.
Armillaria Root Rot Identification
Most of the damage caused by Armillaria root rot occurs below ground. However, these signs can indicate the disease’s presence:
Foliage emerges small or chlorotic (deciduous trees)
Dieback in upper portions of the crown
The tree may produce a stress crop (abnormally large production of seeds)
Large groups of light-colored mushrooms grow at the base of the tree or on the root flare
Thick, black fungal strands may grow in a net on infected trees and in the surrounding soil.
The tree will eventually die
Note: Any time mushrooms or conks are growing on a tree, it is cause for concern. Mushrooms require decaying material to grow and survive.
Armillaria Root Rot Treatment
The first line of defense for your trees is their health. The more optimal their conditions are for healthy growth, the better their chances are of remaining disease-free. Accomplish this by:
Mulching the soil around the tree’s base
Increase the tree’s watering schedule during drought
Protect trees from mechanical wounding (lawnmowers, weed whackers, and other equipment) Prevent foot and vehicle traffic from the tree’s root plate to prevent soil compaction
Remove unstable trees
Remove infected stumps and as many of the roots as possible
Tip: Have your trees assessed by a certified arborist to determine if they are infected with Armillaria fungi and determine their structural stability.
Oak Leaf Blister (Oak Leaf Curl)
Oak leaf blister is a fungal leaf disease caused by the fungus Taphrina caerulescens. During cool, wet growing seasons (spring), nearly all oak species are subject to this disease.
Oak Leaf Blister Identification
This disease displays itself very conspicuously by:
Producing yellowish-white circular, raised areas (blisters) on upper leaf surfaces
Likewise, producing a yellowish-brown depression (same size) on the lower leaf surface
Note: In cases where the disease is advanced, defoliation may occur. Leaf loss in early summer will sometimes result in a second leafing out in the same season. When defoliation occurs in late summer, the tree will not likely leaf out again until the following spring.
Watch this video to see examples of oak leaf blister.
Oak Leaf Blister Treatment
Unless your tree is growing under stressed conditions or has suffered multiple disease infections, oak leaf blister should not severely affect the overall health of your tree. However, this and other diseases should be treated to avoid weakening your tree’s health.
A single fungicide application in early spring at the time of bud-swelling (before bud break) should be adequate to curb oak leaf blister. You can apply a fungicide appropriate for Taphrina caerulescens with a power sprayer, thoroughly coating buds and twigs.
Chlorothalonil is an organic compound used as a broad spectrum, non-systemic fungicide recommended for controlling oak leaf blister.
Tip: Fungicide treatments lose their efficacy when applied after bud break.
Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS)
Bacterial leaf scorch is a tree disease caused by Xylella fastidiosa, which invades the xylem of susceptible trees. Leafhoppers and spittlebugs spread BLS from tree to tree by feeding on its xylem.
Bacterial Leaf Scorch Identification
Similar to oak leaf blister, BLS symptoms appear in the tree’s crown and are highly noticeable. Here’s what to look for:
Leaf margins turn brown
Signs appear on older, inner foliage and move outward to newer leaves
In most cases, browned, dying, or dead areas of the leaf are strikingly separated from green tissue by a yellow border
Note: Defoliation should not be used as an identification method as leaves may or may not drop after infection and death.
Watch this video to see the symptoms of bacterial leaf scorch.
Bacterial Leaf Scorch Treatment
As of now, there is no cure for bacterial leaf scorch. While diseased trees can persist for several years, they will eventually die. The following practices can extend the life and healthy appearance of your tree:
Seasonal pruning – remove dead wood
Watering practices – increase tree waterings during summer months or during drought
Tree removal – Remove infected trees and replace them with disease-resistant cultivars
Once your tree has burned leaf tips or margins, there’s no damage reversal at that wounded location. The only course of action is to prune out problem areas and encourage the tree’s healthy growth.
Note: The use of antibiotic injections may cause a temporary remission of symptoms but does not cure BLS.
Leaf Spot
Leaf spots can be caused by air pollutants, insects, and bacteria. Most are a result of infection by pathogenic fungi. Once inside the leaf, fungi continue to grow, and leaf tissue dies. Leaf spot fungi are most prolific during cool, wet weather in early spring. Leaf spot diseases are rarely a problem after warm, dry spring weather.
Leaf Spot Identification
Leaf spot occurs in the mid- to late spring months through the summer months, with irregular, dark brown spots developing between leaf veins. Trees with iron chlorosis or subject to other stressors (drought, infestation, disease, etc.) are likely to develop leaf spot.
Leaf Spot Treatment
While extremely unsightly, leaf spot is rarely lethal to trees and shrubs. Here are some simple measures to minimize or prevent a leaf spot outbreak:
Remove and destroy fallen leaves in the fall. The causal fungi or bacteria overwinter in fallen leaves.
Avoid overhead watering, spraying, and splashing.
Prune your trees with clean and sanitized equipment.
Chemical control should only be used as a last resort or when your trees are stressed from other diseases or pests. Consider the following:
If your tree’s leaves are already out and showing signs of leaf spot, chemical control will be ineffective. Wait until next spring.
Apply fungicide as buds swell in early spring.
Follow up with another fungicide application five to ten days after bud break.
A third application may be needed during a rainy spring.
To keep leaf spot from spreading, use a fungicide containing the active ingredient propiconazole. For those reluctant to use chemical control methods, spray with a mild solution of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) instead.
Note: The additional stress of leaf spot on an already distressed tree may result in permanent injury or death.
Oak Wilt
This fast-spreading lethal oak tree disease is caused by the pathogen Ceratocystis fagacearum. Oak wilt disease moves from tree to tree by the wood-boring oak beetle (Agrilus auroguttatus) or root grafts (underground roots connected between trees).
Oak Wilt Identification
The progression of oak wilt in red oak cultivars is swift, and the following symptoms indicate the tree’s impending death.
The tree starts to die from the top down.
Leaves will turn a pale green, wilt, and then suffer bronzing or tanning along the edges and inward to the main vein.
Leaves may droop, roll lengthwise and wilt.
Leaves may also die from the tip down.
As the disease progresses down the tree’s canopy, upper leaves will turn yellow and fall off. Green leaves will fall off too.
As the infection spreads, brown streaks develop in the sapwood.
Note: Streaking caused by the oak wilt fungus occurs as vascular tissue is plugged by chemicals produced by the tree – to stop the disease.
The progression of oak wilt in white oak cultivars is much slower, as these trees are more tolerant to the disease. They can become infected and persist for many years.
Watch this video for more on oak wilt.
Oak Wilt Treatment
The most effective oak wilt control measure is prevention. There is no treatment method to cure infected trees. Trees and their roots infected with oak wilt should be professionally removed and destroyed (preferably by fire) before the disease has a chance to spread.
Oak Anthracnose
Oak anthracnose is caused by a fungal pathogen called Apiognomonia errabunda (previously known as Apiognomonia quericina and Discula quercina)
Anthracnose infections typically begin in the lower canopy and progress upwards. This is because shade and moisture are more readily available in the lower canopy. Some infected foliage – on many oak species – will persist in the canopy over the winter months. Infection of newly developing foliage occurs the following spring.
Oak Anthracnose Identification
Anthracnose symptoms initially appear on foliage as being water-soaked, blighted, or as blotches along veins as new foliage develops.
As the disease develops, lesions dry, becoming gray-colored. Newer foliage can become distorted or shriveled, and defoliation may occur.
Mature foliage is more resistant to this disease. Having developed a thick, waxy cuticle, wounds on these leaves are often smaller.
Apiognomonia produces most spores asexually from fungal pads that rupture through the leaf’s surface and petiole. The fungal pads (acervuli) appear on the upper or lower surface of the leaves, along the veins.
Twig dieback may lead to secondary colonization by wood-boring insects and/or stem cankering fungi like Hypoxylon canker.
Disease outbreaks tend to subside by mid-summer (warmer & drier conditions). When cooler, wetter weather returns, a resurgence in disease development may occur.
When oak trees are weakened by other stresses, like boring insects, Armillaria root and butt rot, oak anthracnose symptoms can be amplified.
Watch this video to see how anthracnose can be identified.
Oak Anthracnose Treatment
A well cared for, and regularly fertilized Oak tree can develop a resistance to Anthracnose. There are many ineffective ways to treat oak anthracnose. However, fungicide applications performed by an arborist provide the most efficacious results.
In cases where 15% or more of the tree’s canopy has been lost or must be pruned, your arborist will likely recommend tree removal to prevent the disease from spreading.
Hypoxylon Canker
Biscogniauxia (Hypoxylon) atropunctatum quickly colonizes stressed trees. The Hypoxylon fungus is an opportunistic pathogen, and vigorous trees are ordinarily unaffected. Hypoxylon canker can affect any type of oak, including:
Black (Quercus velutina)
Blackjack (Quercus marilandica)
Laurel (Quercus laurifolia)
Live (Quercus virginiana)
Post (Quercus stellata)
Southern red (Quercus falcata)
Texas red (Quercus buckleyi)
Water (Quercus nigra)
White oaks (Quercus alba)
Note: This disease occurs on trees in many habitats like forests, pastures, parks, urban and suburban green spaces, and areas in development.
Hypoxylon Canker Identification
This disease appears as a dead lesion (canker) on limbs, branches, and trunks. The canker develops under the bark and eventually causes a white rot decay of the inner sapwood. This decay contributes to the tree’s mortality and renders the tree a significant danger to life and property. Consider the following symptoms:
Chlorotic (yellow), then brown leaves
Small stunted leaves and reduced twig growth
Thinning canopy
Dieback
Water sprouts (epicormic shoots) growing on surface roots, trunks, and large limbs
Dieback of feeder roots
White/stringy sapwood in the cankered area
The signs of the fungus include:
Early stages – Dark reddish-brown to olive-green shades of crusted fungal (stroma) tissue over the cankered area.
Later stages – Grey surface that eventually flakes off after 6 to 12 months to reveal a brown to black crusty material displaying a burnt appearance.
Advanced stages – Smaller cankerous patches merge into large vertical strips along the trunk and major limbs of the affected tree.
Watch this video to see what hypoxylon canker looks like.
Hypoxylon Canker Treatment
No known fungicides are available to cure or prevent Hypoxylon canker. Therefore, managing this disease depends more upon maintaining vigorous, healthy trees and preventing the contributors that lead to decline and stress. Healthy trees can resist this pathogen.
If a tree exhibits signs of stress, take prompt measures to reverse the condition before this, or a combination of pathogens can colonize the tree. Here’s how to deal with this disease when it appears on your oak:
Hypoxylon Canker present on Limbs and Branches – When this infects the limbs and branches (not the trunk) of a tree:
Infected limbs and branches should be carefully and completely pruned from the tree.
Prune infected limbs and branches in sections if needed to minimize disturbing infected areas.
All wood infected by any species of fungi should be handled as highly transmissible to surrounding trees and shrubs.
Never run these limbs and branches through a wood chipper.
This wood should be burned.
Hypoxylon Canker on Tree Trunks – When this disease has infected and appears on the tree trunk, there are no actions to prevent the decline and eventual death of the tree:
Hire a tree service to carefully remove the tree.
Never run a Hypoxylon canker infected tree through a wood chipper.
This wood should be burned.
Tip: Hire an arborist to evaluate, treat, and remove (when necessary) an oak tree infected with Hypoxylon canker disease. They are trained to handle such cases without spreading the disease.
Powdery Mildew on Oaks
There are many different species of powdery mildew causing fungi, and each species attacks a diverse range of trees and plants.
When powdery mildew begins to take over a tree or plant, a layer of mildew (made up of numerous spores) forms across the top of the foliage. These spores can then be carried to other plants by the wind. Powdery mildew can result in slowed growth and compromised fruit yield/quality when severe enough.
Powdery Mildew Identification
Powdery mildew is a simple disease to recognize. The first sign of infection is usually white, powdery spots or patches on the top side of leaves or on plant stems. Infected leaves turn yellow and twisted. Then, once the infection strengthens, new shoots and buds will develop with distorted growth.
For more on powdery mildew, watch this video.
Powdery Mildew Treatment
Here is how you can regain control when powdery mildew attacks your oak tree:
If possible, reduce or completely eliminate summer watering.
Let spring growth harden off (mature, expanded leaves are very resistant to this disease).
During the dormant season, prune out any “witches brooms” that formed during the growing season.
Tip: While summer drought is the best control, you can apply a chlorothalonil, sulfur, or copper-based fungicide during the winter months. If multiple applications are required, alternate between fungicides to prevent disease resistance.
Lichen
Lichen are unusual organisms composed of a fungus and an alga and/or a cyanobacterium symbiotically living together. The alga converts sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air to carbohydrates. The fungus surrounds the alga, protecting it from drying, and in turn, lives off of the food it provides.
Lichen Identification
Identifying lichen can be much more complicated than identifying vascular plants. Each lichen thallus is a complete microscopic world with unique characteristics separating it from other lichen.
When identifying lichen, keep in mind that one species of fungus can have two different forms if paired with two different “photobionts.” It is not common, but it does happen.
Lichen can appear green to gray-green leafy or crusty growths on the trunk and branches of trees typically in poor health.
Watch this video for more lichen information.
Lichen Treatment
Lichen will gradually disappear as tree health is restored – as foliage thickens, less sunlight gets to the lichen, inhibiting them from producing food.
Products containing copper sulfate sprayed on lichen will kill the fungus portion of the organism. Copper-sulfate is best used as a treatment for tree lichen from late spring through early fall. Such applications are not effective in cooler weather.
Note: Lichen pose no severe threat to trees. One of the ways lichen directly benefit humans is through their capacity to absorb everything in their atmosphere, especially pollutants.
Disclaimer: As with any/all chemicals, carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s directions/instructions before handling them or hire an arborist for such applications.
Tips for Caring for Oak Trees
Oak tree neglect can lead to a tree limb falling on a car, or worse, an entire tree falling on your house. However, if you properly care for your oak tree by pruning it, using oak tree fertilizer, and watering it the correct amount, you will help your tree remain healthy and better able to stave off harmful diseases.
The following are tips to help you better care for your oak tree:
Provide your oak tree with full sun
Provide your oak tree with well-drained soil Deciduous oak trees need regular pruning
Mature oaks only need pruning to remove dead or weakened branches
Young oak trees need fertilizer for growth, while mature oaks need fertilizer for health
Avoid mechanical injury to your oaks during favorable conditions for infection (typically in spring and early summer)
Apply tree wound dressings or paint when out-of-season pruning must be performed to prevent disease transmission.
If you’re handling oaks compromised or killed by oak wilt, root rot, or other diseases, remove and properly destroy them to prevent infecting other oaks.
Common Oak Tree Diseases
In this article, you discovered information on several oak tree diseases, how to identify them, and how to treat them before they get out of hand.
Knowing how to identify and treat oak tree diseases will enable you to take swift action to stop the disease and prevent the decline or death of your oak tree.
Allowing diseases to develop without control measures further weakens a tree’s defenses allowing multiple pathogens to successfully attack, debilitate, and kill your tree.
Your dead or dying trees could become severe hazards capable of causing catastrophic damage to your property. Knowing why your trees are getting sick and dying will help you take action to either save them or remove them.
fasttreeremovalatlanta.com gathered the following information to help you uncover the many reasons your trees may appear to be dying or already dead and what to do with them.
What Is Making My Trees Sick?
Your trees may be under stress or dying from a variety of conditions. For some of the following, the situation can be reversed, for others, tree removal may be necessary for the protection of the surrounding trees and landscape:
Drought – Trees are capable of resisting disease-causing organisms and insect infestations when they are sufficiently hydrated. During times of drought, trees, shrubs, and plants use up water stored in the soil.
If this water is not replenished, trees will begin to display the following signs:
It is essential to note that the above signs of illness or infestation typically appear after years of stress being applied to a tree’s health.
Unseasonable Heat – With global average temperatures on the rise and in many regions, longer summer seasons, heat may cause trees to lose the ability to evaporate enough water to cool their leaves.
When trees cannot meet their cooling needs, the result is leaf damage and additional stress to the tree’s health. This condition often causes early leaf drop in deciduous species and mortality in conifers.
Note: In small doses over long periods, trees are extremely capable of adapting to evolving conditions. However, at the rate temperatures are on the rise globally, trees are unable to keep up. Those trees found on the cusp of their hardiness zone are usually the first to develop symptoms of “overheating”.
Boring Insects – These insects have mastered their attack on trees to the point that by the time you recognize signs of infestation, the insects have likely moved on to a new host. Boring insects like beetles tend to successfully attack trees already stressed by heat, drought, and other factors. Signs of a boring insect infestation include:
• Entry/Exit holes in the trunk, branches, or stems • Foliage wilting or loss on specific branches or stems • Branch or stem death on an otherwise healthy-looking tree • Visual identification of the insect
Due to the destructive nature of boring insects, an arborist must be hired to inspect the tree, perform a hazard assessment, and evaluate the risk to the surrounding environment.
Disease – When trees are infected by a disease, they can take years to show symptoms, and by then, it may be too late to save the tree. This depends on the health of the tree when it was successfully attacked, the tree’s capacity to compartmentalize diseased tissue, and how the tree was infected.
Pathogens that attack trees through their roots are fast-acting and can cause hydraulic failure and death in a fraction of the time others may take.
Some pathogens like the ambrosia fungi are carried from tree to tree by boring insects. If successfully attacked, the tree now hosts a boring insect infestation and the disease it brought with it. Coupled with an already weakened state, such trees are likely to show symptoms, decline, and die fairly quickly.
Note: Tree roots weakened/stunted by drought or root rot (poorly drained soil) are most susceptible to successful pathogen attacks, such as Armillaria root rot.
Poor Tree Care – In some instances, a tree’s health can be weakened by the actions meant to boost its health. Consider the following:
• Poor pruning practices • Using unsterilized equipment • Over-fertilizing • Water-logging the soil • Herbicide application (to kill weeds) too close to the root plate or on the tree • Volcano mulching
When a tree suddenly dies, it is likely due to multiple factors (drought, infestation, disease, unseasonable heat, etc.) causing hydraulic failure within the tree. Visit fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/how-do-i-know-if-my-tree-dying to discover what other signs to watch for when a tree’s health is declining.
Trees Eventually Die
For as much as we love and care for our trees, they are not immortal. It is normal for trees to grow old and die. Many fruit trees have a lifespan limited to decades, while some species may persist for hundreds or thousands of years. You can give your tree its best shot at a long life by:
• Planting an appropriate species for the region • Planting it well within its hardiness zone • Planting it in the right location* • Providing the correct balance of nutrients • Providing sufficient water (especially in times of drought) • Using proper organic mulching techniques • Using proper pruning methods with sterilized equipment
* The importance of planting a tree in the proper location cannot be overstated. The roots need space to grow and develop unobstructed. The tree’s canopy should be free from obstruction (especially from any power lines above).
If and when the time comes to have your tree removed, call a professional tree service to have it safely brought down, especially if it is infested or diseased. This will help you save any neighboring trees, shrubs, and plants from being infected or infested by whatever killed your tree.
My Trees Are Dying
In this article, you discovered several reasons that can lead to the death of your tree(s), and what to do with them.
By recognizing the signs of disease and infestation, and taking action, you can potentially save your tree. At the very least, you can make informed decisions on what needs to be done.
When you ignore the signs of an ailing tree, you place your property, vehicles, and even your well-being at grave risk if the tree topples.
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.
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.
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.
Being one of the most widely spread and most varied class of North American native tree species, it is no mystery as to why pine trees are a popular choice for landscaping.
Due to how easy it is to plant, grow, and care for them, pines are one of (if not the most) valuable of the commercial timber sources. Pines are widely utilized in the making of furniture, in construction, land management, and much more.
Some of the pine species are able to grow 2-3 feet per year while remaining full and vibrant. As well, all pines are evergreen, making their appeal to home owners even greater.
Selecting the right pine tree depends mostly on where it will be planted. Pines are not shade nor drought tolerant, they will need full sun and well irrigated soil to thrive and reach their full potential.
Listed below are a few of the pinus species found in abundance in the City of Atlanta and surrounding areas.
Longleaf Pine – Reaches up to 120 feet tall, with a lifespan of 400 to 500 years.
Eastern White Pine – Reaches up to 150 feet tall, with a lifespan of around 450 years.
Loblolly Pine – Reaches up to 100 feet tall, with a lifespan of 150 years.
The trunk of each of the above species can reach a diameter of 2.5 to 4 feet at maturity, and has an extensive, deep growing root system. Pine trees should not be planted within 15 to 20 feet of fences or other permanent structures, because they have the potential to cause structural damage as they grow.
Pine Tree Care and Common Diseases
Given the right conditions, there isn’t much you will need to do in the way of care for pine trees. As mentioned earlier, they are typically not shade nor drought tolerant, simply making sure that they are well irrigated and get full sun is enough for them to thrive.
Soil – The ideal soil for pine trees is “moist” not dry or wet. This can be accomplished through proper mulching. 2 to 3 inches thick beginning 6 inches from the trunk and spreading out to the edge of the canopy (at least 2 feet to keep mowers far from the trunk and roots).
Fertilizer – In the fall, pines shed old needles. Leave them there! This tree is self-propagating, and its decomposing needles naturally improve the surrounding soil. In effect, it’s FREE mulch that becomes its own fertilizing agent.
Performing a soil test annually will help you to properly fertilize your pine trees. This is an opportunity to correct the pH of the soil and further enrich it if necessary.
Water – During drought conditions, give your trees a deep watering twice a week. At these times, having proper mulching will help the soil retain moisture, thus relieving drought stress.
Under normal conditions, keep the surrounding soil moist for optimum growth and health conditions.
Why Is My Pine Tree Dying From The Bottom Up? – This is a common question which is usually the result of a pine tree drying out. As pines are not drought tolerant, the tree will let the lower branches dry out while sending moisture to the upper branches.
In a way, the tree is stalling for time, waiting for the soil to regain its moisture. You may have to adjust the watering schedule. We advise having the tree professionally evaluated to eliminate the possibility of blight or other possible stressors.
Pests And Disease – While caring for your pines is relatively simple, there are some common pests and diseases to watch for. Some of the pests that feed on and thrive in pine trees are:
Scale
Bagworms
Aphids
Mites
Bark Beetles
And some of the diseases that affect the tree’s appearance and health are:
Needlecast
Pine Wilt
Sphaeropsis Tip Blight
Dothistroma Needle Blight
Root Rot
In either case, when an infestation or disease is suspected or confirmed, fungicides and pesticides can be used to stop their progression. Calling in a professional tree service to manage these issues is best. In some cases, the only way to protect the rest of your ecosystem is to have the tree removed before the issue spreads.
How Do You Prune a Pine Tree?
Well, you don’t. Shaping, thinning, and aggressive pruning can cause irreparable damage to pine trees.
Occasionally, there will be a situation of abnormal growth, disease, or storm damage which will require pruning. There may eventually be a necessity for crown thinning or crown cleaning. In any of these cases, an arborist or tree professional should be called in to assess the situation and properly execute the required treatment.
Improper pruning, cutting, thinning, or shaping of pine trees (besides causing serious damage) will leave them vulnerable to fungi and infestation.
Pine Trees and Your Landscape
With the right conditions (moist fertile soil and sunlight), adding pine trees to your landscape will provide a significant boost to your ecosystem. Pines grow very fast, they are aromatic, and attract a range of wildlife.
Of the members of your yard’s ecosystem, your pines will likely require the least amount of attention and care. When planting them, be aware that they should not be within 15 to 20 feet of any structure, walkway, driveway, or they will damage, crack, or buckle the concrete.
It is also worth mentioning that once you have a healthy pine tree growing in your yard, you also have a permanent festive outdoor Christmas tree to decorate for the holiday season (at least for a few years).
Tree damage can occur as a result of a number of things. At Fast we have seen all scenarios ranging from a reckless driver crashing into a tree, reckless lawn care providers, animals or deer scraping its antlers, or extreme weather damaging tree bark. A damaged tree though isn’t just an unpleasant sight. If it remains as it is without any treatment, the damage can result in infection and lead to its death.
Note: Lightning strikes will also lead to tree bark damage. This case however, needs more specific treatment.
What Bark Does For a Tree
Bark functions as the “epidermis” (skin) of the tree. This protective external tissue is necessary for thwarting insects and infections from entering the tree. When this “skin” gets intruded and damaged, it leaves the tree exposed to disease and infections; further, this activity loosens the trunk’s integrity and is generally deteriorating to its health.
Tree bark also protects the wall of the skin named “Phloem”, which belongs to the tree’s circulatory function and is vital for the tree’s health. Phloem is fortified with sugars and nutrients synthesized during the photosynthesis phase and spread throughout the plant. In case the bark gets injured or removed, the circulation of nutrients gets blocked and the ruined part of it starts to dry off, exposing it to health and infection issues.
How Much Bark Can a Tree Lose
In case the tree bark injury penetrates 25% or less the tree’s surrounding tissue, the tree’s health will often be ok, and it will remain unaffected unless the injury isn’t treated.
When the tree damage percentage reaches anywhere from 25-50%, the tree will be affected but often not substantial enough to threaten its survival. The signs of damage will show up as dead branches or fallen leaves. Injuries of this level, however, need to be tackled promptly and thoroughly before they spread.
In case the tree injury is over 50%, there will be a serious threat to its survival. It’s best to hire a tree care expert to assist you in treating the damage.
Finally, in a case where tree bark is damaged completely around its circumference, this is also known as “girdling”. It would be very hard at this point to restore the damage as the tree will most probably not survive. As last resort, a tree care expert may attempt a grafting repair technique to seal the gap of the bark and prolong the tree’s life so it can attempt to heal itself.
How to Treat Bark Damage and Loss
Whenever a damage/wound appears, fungi that lead to decay can penetrate the heartwood. The wood surrounding the damage will release substances that will create a protective layer to separate and isolate the injured part. This protective process is known as “compartmentalization”.
In many cases, if caught in time, the bark can be reattached to the tree using tree bark repair tape or other methods used by tree professionals.
In a lively tree, the growth cycle endures, and once compartmentalization occurs, deformity and decay will not escalate. Clearing up decayed or infected wood from cavities isn’t suggested, as the soundness of the compartmentalized layer may be violated, leaving the wound exposed to further decay.
Tree Health and Bark Integrity
For all plants in your yard, it is important that you perform checks and inspections regularly. Proper inspections will make sure that your tree is in a healthy state and you can promptly take care of any possible damages before they spread.
Disease prevention is ideal, click here for more tips on that, but in cases where bark and tree damage is out of your control, address the damages immediately.
Our tree service team can give you a helping hand to keep a thriving ecosystem and make sure that any potential tree damages are treated properly and effectively.
Web-generating pest infections are definitely an ugly issue for tree’s appearance and health. Tree webs are often created by mites or caterpillars that create webs on the under part of the tree leaves and close to its branches.
While this issue is not an easy sight to see, it at the same time raises a serious health risk for tree’s health. Pest-generating webs can defoliate and loosen up the core of trees, which eventually leaves the exposed to extra pest infestations, disorders, and even death.
In this article we will outline which insects and pests cause issues that lead to problems and disease. Visit fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/5-tree-shrub-disease-prevention-tips for disease prevention tips, and read below on how to prevent the pest insect webs from happening.
Pests That Create Webs In Trees
Spider mites – Spider mites are spider kinds that create thin and silk-like kind of webs. They creep in the colonies of the trees and produce hundreds of mites per each. They are often not visible to the naked eye and you can typically spot them by the form of the webs they create on the under part of the tree leaves. Apart from spinning webs, spider mites also deprive vital nutrients from the leaves as they consume them, which leads to their falling.
Tent Caterpillar – This caterpillar produces a web inside the crotches of the tree branches. Their eggs hatch as new leaves grow in the spring months and the caterpillars remain active until early summer. They also let their webs to eat tree leaves as a breakfast and in the afternoon before they go back.
Bagworms – These don’t create any webs on trees and plants. However, this kind of worn creates a tiny bag around its body from the plant consumed and when it’s bothered, it returns to the bag for protection. Their eggs hatch before summer sets, but you can only see them once their bags become more than 1 inch in size. These worms may lead to widespread damage to the tree.
Fall webworms – these worms, as their name suggests, lay their eggs on the leaves of trees going through the Autumn falling stage. Thousands of their eggs hatch during the summer season and their leaves spin and enclose themselves in web-kind of hosts named “tents”.
Once the webworm spins and continues eating, the tents grow and lead to ugly establishments. The adult fall webworm caterpillar is around 1 inch long with thin gray-orange hairs over a greenish yellow body. The tree kinds they usually infest are maples, birches, willow barks, walnuts, and mulberrries.
Funnel Web Spiders – These look like a wolf spider in appearance. The make large flat webs they spin through grass, soil covers, or tree and plant branches. The web slants slightly toward a slender funnel where the spider lives. Funnel spiders generally don’t cause any intense damages to the tree but once they bite, this can result into major issues.
Removing Pesky Worms And Their Webs
Insecticides – For widespread infestations or infestations towards the length of trees, insecticides (insect killer substances) used in conjunction with soapy substances are indicated. It’s challenging to get the worms inside their spun web but the insecticide/s will reach them as they aim to grow
Garden Hose – You can use this spray to remove higher webs or reach the web and leave it exposed to predators e.g birds that will feed on the worm.
Soap and Water – Good old soap and water can retard the growth of pesky insects by removing their sticky substance and coating they rely upon and lead to dehydration.
Taking Action Keeps Your Trees Healthy
It is vital to deal with infected areas the moment you see web-kind of structures on your tree. If you don’t treat them in time, the infestation will grow further and the pest will be harder to deal with later.
Keep in mind also that chemical based trees should only be used when necessary as while they do work, they loosen up the tree’s structure and leave it exposed to further infestations. They also repel any useful predators from feasting upon mite and caterpillar populations.
Proper maintenance and care ensures the longevity and health of your trees. Contact www.fasttreeremovalatlanta.com for your tree service and tree care needs.
You may have heard or experienced diseases that destroyed your beautiful shrubbery or trees. These diseases can attack any tree given the right conditions and environment.
As they say, prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, Fast created some quick and easy tips to help prevent these ailments from affecting your trees and plant ecosystem. Adhering to these steps may help improve the longevity of your trees and shrubbery.
1. Remove Visibly Deteriorated Trees and Shrubs
To stop the spread of diseases to healthy trees, prune limbs or remove decaying or dead trees. To ensure that the thread is totally removed, it is best to employ the services of an arborist or tree service to take down the tree even to its deepest root.
2. Keep Your Garden Clean
As often as possible, walk your landscape to keep yourself familiar with the condition of the trees, plants, and shrubs. This enables you to observe and detect changes in the color or condition of your trees and shrubs.
Remove fallen leaves from diseased trees and plants and keep your garden clean. Prune any affected branches and trees to keep infected organisms contained.
3. Protect Using Fungicides and Insecticides.
Spraying trees in your landscape with fungicides is a preventive measure to stop the spread of fungal diseases. Thus, the spread of Oak Wilt, fire blight and other diseases can be contained.
Insecticides also prevent spread of disease by attacking its carriers. When you kill the bugs and their eggs, naturally it prevents any contamination from spreading further.
Larva feed on the sapwood beneath the bark hence it is of utmost importance that they are controlled. Usually, they kill the tree as they mature and bore out through the bark.
4. Keep all Gardening Tools Clean
Wipe or spray clean all your tools (shovels, pruners, rake, etc.) to remove debris or any contaminating organisms. Use bleach or alcohol to thoroughly clean the tools used on any diseased trees and plants. This is good practice to do in general, but it’s critical in preventing the spread of diseases to healthy plants.
5. Make Yearly Arborist Inspections
To keep abreast with the condition of your landscape, schedule annual visits with the arborist as prompt detection and immediate response is key to improving the longevity of your trees. You will be notified of the best time for trimming or tree removal of any diseased trees. Visit http://www.fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/when-tree-pruning-cutting-emergency-removal-atlanta-ga for ideal times to inspect and perform tree services.
The Benefits of Trees for Homeowners
It is only natural for trees to get ill now and then. It is also known that trees are insects source of sustenance. With this in mind, sometimes, it is best to allow nature rule and take the full course.
Tree damage can occur as a result of a number of things. At 
