How to Assist a Tree in Fighting Summer Issues
Summer presents several problems to trees, ranging from extreme heat and drought to assault by other living creatures. Many things are beyond our control, yet we can do a lot to aid our trees. Watering and providing excellent soil for a tree to flourish in may assist strengthen its natural defenses. However, certain challenges, including non-native invading insects and illnesses, indicate that trees will need greater active intervention from humans.
Trees, like all living things, are subject to illness. Rain and wind may transmit germs and fungus from one surface to another over many springs and summers. This includes the leaves from your yard’s trees. Bacteria and fungus may also live in soil and harm roots. Whatever the reason, it’s critical to understand how to spot disease, prevent it, and treat it in order to preserve your tree and prevent it from spreading.
There are several things you can do during the summer to guarantee that each of your trees is healthy and ready for the season. Here are some methods for preparing a tree for summer so that it not only flourishes this summer, but for many more to come.
To better understand how to recognize and avoid tree problems, consider the diseases and insects that are most likely to affect your environment.
Common Tree Diseases in the Summer
Here are three common tree diseases that appear in the early summer. Each has its own set of causes and symptoms, although the leaves are usually the first to show indications of common spring tree illnesses.
Scab on an apple
Apple scab, perhaps best recognized as a disease that affects crab apple, apple, pear, and serviceberry trees, is a fungal disease that may spread to the leaves as well as the fruit. An apple scab infection is more prone to occur when a tree is exposed to chilly, wet weather and gloomy circumstances in the spring, just as the leaves begin to flower.
In early summer, apple scab appears as a black spot that resembles watercolor paint spreading on paper. The sores spread during the summer and might finally damage the leaves. Some leaves will become yellow as a result of the procedure, but not all.
Fireblight
Insects may also transmit illness. Fireblight arises when insects are drawn to oozing from diseased trees and then spread the virus to neighboring trees. The illness may also be spread by wind. It is critical to detect a fire blight infection before it spreads to the tree’s trunk.
Keep an eye out for fire blight in the leaves of trees. Infected trees’ leaves may droop as though weighted down after a strong shower and will even begin to shrivel. They will become brown and crispy as the illness spreads, and the bark will seem cracked and scorched.
Wilt of Oak
The fungal disease oak wilt damages the water-conducting channels of oak trees. The disease may spread from one tree to another through grafts, which are connections between tree roots. It is also transmitted by little beetles, which feed on the sap that oozes out of new wounds and take up spores from diseased trees. They then deposit spores on uninfected tree wounds. This is why we don’t trim oaks in the spring and summer: fewer wounds equals a lower risk of oak wilt transmission.
Although oak wilt affects all native oaks, symptoms vary. The virus spreads swiftly in red and pin oaks and is typically incurable. The leaves of bur and white oaks will take on an autumn look, with some scattered browning and withering. If we suspect oak wilt in a white or bur oak, we may collect a sample and send it to a lab for analysis before making a treatment choice.
Insect Pests of Summer Trees
When deciding how to prepare a tree for spring, it is critical to first determine whether or not insects have made a tree their home. Here are three varieties of tree insects that are often observed in the spring.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
The emerald ash borer, scientifically known as Agrilus planipennis, attacks and may destroy all of our native ash trees. With over a billion ash trees in Minnesota alone, this insect has already caused enormous damage to our tree stock. The ash tree’s health deteriorates as the infestation spreads, and branches begin to break. When the situation becomes critical, trees must be removed to prevent them from failing and causing harm to persons or property.
Emerald ash borers make holes when they escape the tree; little D-shaped holes may be seen if you look attentively. The bark above the larval galleries dies and sometimes splits apart, exposing S-shaped tunnels under the bark.
Mites from spiders
Check for spider mites, which feed on the fluid within the needles, if you have conifers. Each year, many generations of spider mites emerge, each lasting 15 to 20 days.
Because spider mites eat on the oldest needles first, inspect the most mature needles for speckling or flecking. As the feeding proceeds, the needles will turn brown and fall off the tree.
Scale of Pine Needles
Pine needle scale, which may be found on pines, Douglas Fir, Spruce, and Juniper trees, is a pest. Scales drain the sap from pine needles, causing cell damage.
When determining how to determine whether your tree is diseased, check for white scabs on the needles and the plant’s stem.
Make your soil ready
Tree fertilization is also a vital factor, and it begins with your soil. Many homeowners prefer to aerate their lawns each year to keep grass roots healthy; trees, on the other hand, may benefit from a similar but more thorough operation that uses compressed air. We may apply an organic, slow-release fertilizer while we’re loosening up the compacted soil.
Fertilization occurs naturally in forests when fallen leaves and other tree waste decompose and rot. This process happens far less often in manicured settings, so your trees miss out on some of the natural fertilizing cycle. Adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil will help your trees develop in the greatest soil possible, keeping your trees looking and flourishing wonderful.
Vineland Tree Care is a well-known tree service in the Twin Cities metro region. If you’re wondering how to prepare your tree for autumn, give us a call and one of our professional arborists will discuss with you about your individual requirements as well as the needs of your tree. Request an estimate for tree fertilization or other services you require. We can’t wait to get your tree ready for autumn!
