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Unless you pay close attention to your trees or consider yourself quite skilled in tree diseases, it isn’t always easy to know if a tree is healthy or not. Sometimes, it’s not until a tree has lost a significant amount of leaves or shows much deadwood that you start to pay attention.
However, if you were to pick up the signs of disease early on, you may be able to take action and prevent the tree’s health from deteriorating even further. Below, you can learn all about signs of disease that may help you to save your tree’s life.
Tree Disease Caused by Bacteria and Fungi
One of the most common causes of tree disease is bacteria and fungi. The changes in your tree can be subtle at first, but they can quickly become noticeable as fungi and bacteria take hold.
Bacteria and fungi infestations can present in multiple ways, and you may notice different sizes, shapes, and colours that make it challenging to know what’s wrong. Symptoms of tree disease can also be random across an entire tree or shrub.
As bacteria and fungi respond to different treatments based on what they are, it can be crucial to request help from a tree care expert. They can identify the cause of the disease and provide the most appropriate treatment.
If your tree is in perfect health, it still doesn’t hurt to know what to look for. By being aware of what fungi and bacteria look like, you can take fast action if your trees ever become affected by disease.
One of the first, most noticeable signs relates to their leaves. You may notice that your tree’s leaves are starting to wilt and droop downwards. They may also be brown-grey in colour. While you’re inspecting the leaves, you might also spot cankers on branches, which are a sign of nutrient blockage.
Any root rot or decay may also point to the presence of pathogens. If left too long without treatment from trained tree professionals, nutrients and water aren’t able to reach your tree’s canopy, and it may die.
Tree Disease Caused by Pests
Even though bacteria and fungi are one of the most common causes of tree disease, they aren’t the only cause. Insects and worms can also wreak havoc on your prized trees.
For example, beetles can dig into tree bark and cause infections by creating tunnels in branches. Pests are also a common problem with fruit trees, particularly citrus trees that can succumb to yellowing leaves, lemon scab, sooty mould, and leaf and fruit drop.
With disease, branches can become dull and fragile before breaking and falling. You may also notice the tree trunks are flaky and cracked due to a lack of nutrients.
As soon as you notice signs as subtle as spots, curls, holes, or discolouration, take action. The longer you leave tree disease, the higher the chance your tree may die.
Root Damage
While root damage isn’t a disease, it can impact your tree’s health which means it’s worth being aware of the signs. Unless you have partially exposed roots, you can’t always see whether roots are damaged.
However, if you have had excavation work completed around your home, extreme weather, or compacted soil, root damage is a possibility. Your tree’s poor health may also be related to root damage if you notice poor growth, yellow and undersized leaves, thinning foliage, or wilted leaves during seasonal growth.
Can You Save a Tree Once It’s Diseased?
Fast action can be crucial for giving your diseased tree the best chance of survival. Check your trees often for these signs above, and request expert help from arborists in Auckland. They can offer insight into the cause of disease and suggest treatment options such as pruning, branch removal, watering, fertilising, and other ground-improving measures.
Can You Prevent Tree Diseases?
While it might seem like you just have to watch and wait to see if your tree will experience disease, that’s not the case at all. You can take preventative action to stop disease from being a problem in the first place.
Undertake regular care, such as trimming, fertilising, mulching watering, and pruning. As soon as you notice anything amiss, contact experienced tree care experts to advise on the best course of action. You don’t have to wait until your tree is on its last legs before trying to save it.
Let ProClimb Take Care of Your Diseased Tree
While you may not know how to care for your diseased or damaged tree, trained arborists do. Leave pruning and other tree-related tasks in the capable hands of tree care experts. They can help with both healthy and diseased trees and do what’s in the best interests of both the tree and you.
Pro Climb offers a tree health service that starts by analysing your garden soil and identifying any diseased trees and shrubs. From this information, we create a tree health plan that will ensure that your trees and shrubs stay healthy and safe. The tree health plan includes soil improvements advice and information on how to treat your diseased and pest-infected plants.
FAQs
What are the common causes of tree disease?
Common causes of tree disease include bacteria and fungi infestations, pests, and root damage.
How can you prevent tree diseases from affecting your trees?
To prevent tree diseases, undertake regular care such as trimming, fertilising, mulching, watering, and pruning, and promptly contact experienced tree care experts as soon as you notice anything amiss.