Understanding Disease & How Trees Get Sick

Classifying the Disease

There are ways to classify the type of disease a tree may have. Some of them are:

• The cause behind the disease
• Host Tree- they are classified based on the type of the tree that is infected
• Section of the tree that is impacted- this can be classified as the root, stem, or the leaf itself. Infections of all of them are unfortunately possible.
• Tree’s age and maturity

Reasons behind the diseases

There can be many reasons behind the disease of the tree. The most prevalent ones are drought, overcrowding, and stem or root injury. If there’s drought, the tree can’t prevent the spread of infection. If there’s a stem injury, this becomes a gateway for harmful microorganisms to enter which eventually would cause infections. If there’s root damage, harmful bacteria can enter the tree which would prevent the tree's ability to absorb and collect water, which in turn makes the tree a very open target for infections.

Prevalent Diseases

Certain tree diseases are more prevalent than others, so your tree most likely may be affected either. Some of these diseases are:

• Leaf Rust: It is true that orange and red leaves are seen in autumn, however, however, patches that are orange on normal green leaves mean that there’s fungus on your tree. This is called leaf rust.
• Fire Blight: Plants infected by fire blight might have dark brown to black blossoms, leaves, twigs, and branches as if they were burnt because of a fire. However, instead of falling, the leaves stay on the tree.
• Powdery Mildew: If there are dots or patches of white powder on the leaves, this indicates powdery mildew, which is a deadly fungus.
• Gall: These are abnormal growths on the leaves, twigs, or branches of plants. They can look like small lumps or complex formations, and come in different shapes, sizes, and colors.
• Canker: They usually appear on the bark of trunks and branches as discolored, brown-to-reddish lesions, or as damaged patches on smaller twigs. Basically, it is an open wound that has been infected with a bacterial or fungal disease.

Seek Professional Tree Service

If you are dealing with a tree disease, it would be the best choice to leave disease management to the arborists of Timber Ridge Tree Care. Our representatives are waiting to take your call and set up a convenient appointment for you and your tree’s health. These diseases can be deadly for your beautiful tree. We take the well-being of trees around us very seriously, so let us handle this threat to your tree.