• We love our trees and often feel a deep spiritual bond with them. Perhaps much of our appreciation stems from the knowledge that they are helping to facilitate our breathing, turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. The birds they attract also seem to add life and vibrance to our gardens waking to their chirpings each morning. Some of us might want our favorite tree to live on and outlive us, and in some cases, they probably will. Some trees have been able to live to over 1000 years old. A Bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) found in California’s White Mountain range that has been named the “Methuselah” estimated by experts to have been over 4,700 years old. Not all trees have this level of good fortune and longevity. During the lifespan of a tree, diseases often come and go, some can be ignored, where-as others need urgent care. Sometimes they cannot be cured of their tree damage, resulting in situations where tree removal and tree cutting are required. Commercial tree services and Arborists can help you to identify whether tree pruning or even tree removal are required in the presence of a tree disease.

    Tree diseases can occur due to many reasons, some of which are mysterious, however, in this article, we will cover the more common ones that are often found across North America. Many parts of the world don’t have the infrastructures and know-how to manage tree diseases that terrorize environments. The other common issue arises because people don’t routinely try to identify disease until it is too late for treatment and intervention. Making visual assessments of a tree’s health is possible if you know what to look for. Lab testing and magnification technologies are not a necessity for the most part.

    One of the biggest contributors to tree disease is poor growing conditions that affect the development of the tree’s roots. Tree’s that are pot bound can have restricted roots that ultimately affect the tree’s ability to absorb nutrients and interfere with the tree’s structural integrity. This is especially the case when trees are pot bound as saplings.

    Tree diseases and disorders can be separated into a few categories:

    Abiotic

    Non-living threats to tree’s, so this includes the build of corrosive chemical compounds, light, radiation as well as unfavorable atmospheric conditions.

    Biotic

    Biotic represents the living threats, notably pests. Some pest groups are easier to identify simply because they are more visible to the human eye. The majority of insects found on trees are considered to be casual feeders, where their feeding process is not long term or too infrequent to affect the health of the tree in any substantial way. Trees that are already being weakened by disease deteriorate even fast in the presence of pests. Experts consider the impacts of both ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ pests. Primary-pests are pests that cause the initial infection. Secondary-pests are pests that gravitate to already deteriorating trees.

    Fungi

    Fungi/Mushrooms tend to feed on dead plant material, the presence of fungi can be an indicator of poor health, decay, and dying.

    What to look for?

    Symptoms such as cankers on the stems of the tree or wilted leaves are of the easier markers to recognize. Where-as missing leaves can simply be caused by the changing of seasons where some trees can have different cycles to the other ones nearby. Many of these signs are subtle and finding a tree company in your area or an Arborist may be needed to confirm your suspicions. It’s best to have an expert run an analysis, the last thing you want to do is tree climbing when you can’t be sure of the more subtle symptoms.

    Some of the most common features of a deteriorating tree include:

    Gall

    Gall is one of the easier to spot conditions. It is caused by a few things, including fungal/bacterial conditions, as well as infection bought on by insects. Growths form on the leaves. Swells on trunks can also be apparent, some of which can grow up to an inch in size. The causes of the issue are tricky to determine, meaning the tree work required will need to be decided on by a professional from a tree company.

    Leaf rust

    Orange and goldish in appearance spot start to occur on the surfaces of rupturing leaves, this is known as rust. It is rare for it to kill plants, however, rust fungus is a little unsightly and tends to limit the process of photosynthesis which affects tree health. This results in the leaves being left a little discolored, sort of a yellowy-brown. They come in powdery clusters. The residue can be scraped off. Twigs can become infected, in the presence of leaf rust, if possible, it is recommended to remove these leaves during the autumn/fall period. Beyond this, fungicides are available to control and eliminate the spread.

    Fire Blight

    Fire blight causes trees to develop sections of branches that resemble fire damage. The leaves of the trees turn a browny-black which is caused by a bacteria that seems to grow through warm, moist conditions. The bacteria can spread in the presence of rain, bees, and even infected pruning tools.

    Powdery Mildew

    Powdery Mildew tends to form white coachings across the surface of leaves during dry, cloudy weather in the presence of high humidity.

    Trees in shady areas are more prone to growing powdery mildew as sunlight seems to prevent its growth.

    Witches’ Broom

    Witches’ Broom disease causes strange-looking clusters of growths to form around the branches, having the potential to completely destroy the tree. The brooms tend to crop up in the locations of tree wounds, this can also be a result of openings from pruning. Successful treatment is often achieved through fungicides. Additional pruning is needed to destroy the brooms and injured branches.

    Treat your trees early

    Tree work and analysis’s can be done by experts and Arborists who can often assist with stump grinding and tree trimming, Tree removal can be a necessary action to take, many regions have emergency tree services nearby that can help with tree cutting and tree pruning, it could be worth getting in contact with your local tree removal company to resolve any risky situations where a tree fell or might be about to. 

    It is sad to see our trees fall victim to diseases, fortunately, many can be taken care of and cured if the problems are identified early on – before the tree damage becomes unmanageable.

    If you have any questions feel free to reach out!

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