Diagnosing Tree Disease

Tree disease can be worrying for any home or business owner. You immediately start to think that your tree is going to have to be felled, dismantled and removed. It’s important to get some understanding on the various diseases, so you can make an informed decision on how to proceed.

Disease Causes

Trees can experienced a slow death due to disease. Trees get diseases, the same as humans, the good news is that it doesn’t have to mean the end of your tree. The majority of tree diseases can be treated effectively once the disease has been positively identified. Serious cases should be identified by a professional tree specialist to determine the best course of action moving forward.

Some Tree Diseases

Leaf Spot

Deciduous trees that lose their leaves during the autumn can be prone to leaf spot disease. This can debilitate the tree by blocking its ability to photosynthesise, which is ow the tree creates it’s energy.

Bark Disease

Bark disease is another disease that can occur, especially in beech trees. This disease is caused by insects and fungal pathogens. The early sign of this disease is infection which is clearly visible on the bark. It is red / brown in colour and oozes. The crown of the tree may also appear weak.

Dutch Elm Disease

Dutch Elm Disease is a dangerous disease. It is a fungal infection that targets the circulatory system of the tree. It globs tissues to prevent water movement to the top of the tree. As a result the crown starts to die. The disease affects individual branches at first, but within three years the entire tree can die.

Considered one of the roost dangerous tree disease in the world, the disease first arrived in Britain in the 1920’s killing up to forty percent of the elm trees. The epidemic died down, butt was accidentally reintroduced in the 1960’s. While it attacked the elm tree is southern and central Britain in the 1970’s. The progress of the disease in Scotland has been slower, which means that we see mature elms throughout Scotland today.

Root Rot

Root rot, such as Armiliaria can affect a wide number of tree species, including vegetable plants and fruit trees. This is often seen is oak and dogwood trees. It is seen when soil remains wet for an extended period. Symptoms include leaves dulling, bark darkening and bark peeling. The symptoms of this root disease appear slowly.

Disease Prevention

Knowing the various tree diseases is one of the ways to prevent them based on your geographical location. Pay careful consideration to your tree selection when planting new trees to reduce the risk, while ensuring you monitor the trees light, soil, water and fertiliser needs.

Having a tree maintenance service on hand is a great way to ensure that you provide your tree with the quality care it needs to reduce the risk of diseases in the long run.