Most of the time, plantdiseases can be difficult to spot simply due to the organisms causing it being hard to see with your bare eyes. As it develops, however, the signs and symptoms are clear.
Tree diseases can develop in any portion of the tree, or even in the entire tree. The common symptoms that trees show signs of are spots and blotches on the leaves, scabs and blisters, defoliation, needle cast, and even yellowing. Stem canker and root rot are also common to see.
Prior to treating your tree, you have to identify the root of the issue. It isn’t enough to simply treat the symptoms - you have to know what is causing it. This is where the opinion of an expert arborist can be extremely helpful.
Let’s take a look at some of the common tree diseases so that you can see if your tree is suffering from any.
Phytophthora Root & Crown Rot
This is often first suspected when a tree’s crown begins to die and become discolored, and leaves drop out of season. The tree looks rather unhealthy in general.
This disease may plague a tree’s roots for quite a few years before it dies. That being said, if it reaches the crown or basal stem, the tree may falter a lot sooner.
Younger trees are particularly susceptible to this disease because their roots and crown are not fully developed yet. To reduce the risk of your trees contracting this disease, ensure that you have a good soil drainage system in place as the organism causing this disease flourishes in moist, warm ground.
Anthracnose
This actually refers to a group of diseases caused by a fungus. The most widespread symptoms of this disease is random dead areas on a tree or blotches on the leaves. When it is particularly severe, entire leaves may be blotched. The tree is often infested by cankers, which will further kill some of the smaller limbs of the tree. Regrowth often makes the tree look gnarled.
In most cases, this disease only plagues the leaves. If it spreads to the twigs and branches, however, it often results in death.
Oak wilt
As evident, this disease affects oak trees, whether red oaks, white oaks, and live oaks. There are generally two different ways that trees contract this disease: insects and root graft infections.
The insects that are typically observed to be spreading this disease are sap beetles. The most common symptom is leaf drop. This is a great identifying characteristic of oak wilt because the majority of oak diseases do not result in leaf drop.
The symptoms of oak wilt on red oak also include partially brown or green leaves that begin from the outside of the leaf. There is also often streaking on the bark and spore mats underneath.
The symptoms of oak wilt on white oaks also include those partially brown or green leaves. However, they often look a little bit more solid colored and dry compared to red oaks. Branches typically die off one at a time.
Finally, the symptoms on live oaks also include discoloration between leaf veins, referred to as interveinal chlorosis. These oaks often survive for the least amount of time with oak wilt, usually dying in less than six months.
Sooty mold
When trees live above or even house colonies of sucking insects, it isn’t uncommon for them to develop sooty mold. This is a tree disease where fungi or mold develops on the tree, sustained by the honeydew produced by the sucking insects. It generally is more annoying than it is fatal - the trees are not very badly affected by it, but it may affect anything underneath the trees, including property.
Fire blight
This disease is a result of a tree being infected with bacteria. It is generally identified by twig die back - the leaves and twigs often look browned and burnt. It is quite a harmful disease, and trees and shrubs will definitely suffer damaged branches, if not the entire plant.
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