"Minimizing Your Footprint, Enhancing Your Performance"
Insects, bacterium, and fungal pathogens are substantial threats to the health and vigor of tree communities. Some common tree diseases in the Northeastern United states include Oak wilt, Asian longhorned beetle, Emerald ash borer, Dutch elm disease, Ash yellows, Hemlock wooly adelgid, Anthracnose, Phytophthora root rot, Armillaria, leaf spot diseases, Pear rust and Powdery mildew. The detriment these diseases have on trees range from moderate to severe.
Some diseases that cause defoliation of trees, for example, may appear severe but in actuality are fairly innocuous and do not pose a great threat to tree survival. Other more inconspicuous diseases, such as Armillaria, may be more difficult to detect but can often cause outright mortality. Our tree experts are adept at knowing when and where to look for signs of diseases that may otherwise go unnoticed until it is too late.
Assessing tree health to determine if tree decline is caused by abiotic environmental factors (drought, sun scorch, chemicals, or mechanical injury) or biotic pathogens (insects, bacteria, or fungi) takes a thorough and multifaceted approach. Our ISA certified arborists are trained to identify signs of pathogens (fungal fruiting bodies, spores, insect holes in bark, etc.) as well as symptoms of diseases such as stem cankers, root rot, discolored leaves and defoliation. After evaluating the signs of pathogens and the symptoms they cause the tree to exhibit we can identify the root cause of the tree’s ailment. From there, we can help prescribe the appropriate course of action needed to remediate the condition.
There are a variety of management options available to control tree diseases and our team of arborists are well versed in a multitude of treatments that are effective on specific species and pathogens. Understanding the disease lifecycle is necessary for proper timing of treatments to target the insect or pathogen when it is most susceptible. Methods such as eradicating alternative plant hosts of diseases can be an easy and effective way to protect trees infected with diseases caused by pathogens such as rust fungi which always have an alternative host in which the fungus overwinters. In other cases, application of fungicide, insecticide, or properly timed pruning can all be effective options in controlling tree diseases. Sometimes, however, the only course of action for diseases without known treatments, or for those which have progressed beyond repair, is to remove the infected tree. In these situations, we can suggest specific species to replant which are more resistant to disease infection and will require less maintenance to remain healthy. Contact us for a disease assessment consultation and we will work with you to provide holistic solutions to keep your trees vigorous and beautiful.
